Go Cowgirls.

RioRata said:

---

Hairy Bear said:

---

I have been tracking OU during this current slide. One issue that has been raised by their fans is the number of road games. Otherwise, they seem as bewildered as I am. This is a proud WBB program. There is talent on their roster. The 2018 recruiting class also looks good. No one knows quite what to think.

---

Paid a visit to ouhoops.com today. Vivi didn't make the trip to South Dakota (down to 8 players now) and no official explanation as to why.

Their next game is @ New Mexico. The Lady Lobos are 9-0 and playing good ball. Things aren't looking good for Sherri. UConn will shame them.

Wish SoonerNorm would start posting on that site again.

---

Update: Vivi is injured!?!?

http://www.collegesports-fans.com/college-sports-boards/big-12-forums/ou-sooners-boards.html

Quote:

---

The Sooners, who were playing without their leading scorer, injured 6-foot-4 center Vionise Pierre-Louis, stayed in it with defense and rebounding, grabbing 18 and notching 11 steals, but they never did shoot well enough to give themselves a chance.

---

Seems odd that ouhoops fans would have to discover this news from a South Dakota newspaper (after the fact). Is something else going on?

RioRata...The main source for info to soonerfans on ouhoops is some character named Sybarite. Sybarite's rose colored glasses are so deep red that there is no opinion but his. Several have got into arguments with him in the last couple years over the true quality of OU's recruits and if Sherry Coale is "done" and needs to be put in another position in the athletic department. The arguments have gotten more severe this year with Sybarite contending OU is two years away from contending for the Big 12 championship and the others saying a change needs to be made now.

GotMulk posts over there occasionally but gets the wrath of Sybarite who believes Kim is the anti-Christ.

74Bear said:

---

RioRata...The main source for info to soonerfans on ouhoops is some character named Sybarite. Sybarite's rose colored glasses are so deep red that there is no opinion but his. Several have got into arguments with him in the last couple years over the true quality of OU's recruits and if Sherry Coale is "done" and needs to be put in another position in the athletic department. The arguments have gotten more severe this year with Sybarite contending OU is two years away from contending for the Big 12 championship and the others saying a change needs to be made now.

GotMulk posts over there occasionally but gets the wrath of Sybarite who believes Kim is the anti-Christ.

---

Sybarite is finding it harder and harder to defend Sherri and SweetestOUgirl has all but vanished. The wolves are taking over.

OKLAHOMA STATE



Oklahoma State Fans Storm the Court after Victory over # 7 UCLA

December 8, 2017

As pandemonium broke out in Gallagher-Iba Arena and fans rushed the historic white maple court, all Jim Littell could think was the game hadn't been won there, under the lights.

His Oklahoma State squad had endured two losses to top-15 teams before, getting closer each time, but this week in practice, in front of the empty orange seats staring back at them is when the Cowgirls won the game.

Littell said it would take a lot for OSU to knock off No. 7 UCLA in the biggest nonconference home game in program history, but it did just that, finally getting over the hump in a 87-72 beatdown where the Cowgirls never trailed.

Moments like Loryn Goodwin's steal to stop a Bruin comeback cold in its tracks, or Maria Castro hitting a 3-pointer almost effortlessly as Littell fist pumped on the bench were all possible because of how the team was prepared. It was what separated the Cowgirls on Friday night from the team it had been against Mississippi State and Tennessee. It was why OSU came out fearless and played like it was the No. 7 team in the country, not the Bruins.

"They cut it to three and our team could have wilted a little bit there, but they kicked it in and found a different gear," Littell said. " They made some big plays with the game on the line."

OSU (7-2) came out shooting horridly, making only one of its first seven field goal attempts, but the Bruins came out lethargically, too. The difference was when the Cowgirls got going, it never looked back and led the entire way in the upset. Senior Kaylee Jensen, who finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds, said the team expected to come out that way against UCLA. The fact that the Cowgirls had already played opponents of that caliber, as well as the good week of practice, gave her a confidence that might not have been there in the preseason.

"I just thought it was cool that the whole game, no matter if we faltered a little bit or was super up, we stuck together as a team and fought together," Jensen said.

The team mentality is what made the Cowgirls so hard to stop, because though Jensen has been the face of the program the past year plus and graduate transfer Loryn Goodwin is playing out of her mind, teammates such as Castro and freshman Braxtin Miller held their own. When Goodwin started out slow before getting in her groove to finish with 27 points, Miller was there to pick up the slack. When Jensen got into foul trouble going against the Bruins' physical Monique Billings, Castro lifted them with a 3-pointer and underrated defensive play.

It's why in the crucial moment of the game where the Bruins clawed back to 48-45 halfway through the third quarter, Goodwin was able to score six points in a row to jumpstart a run that the Cowgirls never stopped. Goodwin said she doesn't know what came over her in the one-woman show she put on to hold off the Bruins (7-2). She just attributed it to her teammates' great play to start rubbing off on her as opposed to how it has been recently where the roles were reversed.

"Kaylee carried us at the beginning when I was a little off, Braxtin played great, (Areanna Combs), everybody was on their game and came to play," Goodwin said. " Pick your poison because at this point, if you want to shut off one person, probably everybody else is going to go off so good luck to anybody out there."

While Littell was proud of his team for a historic program-boosting win, he knew it all came back to the extra work his team put in earlier in the week.

It was why UCLA coach Cori Close was baffled afterward, because though everyone knows about Goodwin and Jensen, players like Miller she couldn't account for and was part of why OSU came out on top.

"She definitely was an X-factor, I thought she got timely buckets off of offensive rebounds or in transition," Close said. "We expected those things from other people."

It was a reason why though OSU lost the rebounding battle, something Littell is always a stickler about, the Cowgirls still won in convincing fashion. The team was no longer a one-trick pony like it was a year ago and it showed.



Students wore shirts given out before the game that read "It's about to get LITtell"`

The fans who came to see the game, about three times the number of a usual Cowgirl crowd, saw the talent the team had and the confidence the players exuded.

Although it is only December and OSU still has conference play ahead of it, Littell feels like this win will be a big boost going forward, as does Goodwin. If the Cowgirls could have beaten Mississippi State or Tennessee, it would have had the same effect, but Goodwin said it felt even sweeter to get it in front of the fans.

"It feels good," Goodwin said. "We all knew we could do it, but to prove it to everybody else, it feels amazing, All your hard work and coming up short a couple of times to finally pull it out in front of our own fans is something that is priceless. I have never been on a team where the fans stormed for the women's team so it was an incredible experience. I've never been a part of anything like it, but there's more to come."

- Jordan Bishop, CNHI Sports Oklahoma

slimecap said:

---

BIG 12

Saturday - Dec 9

USF @ Oklahoma 2:00 p.m. CT Norman OK FS Oklahoma

---

OU'S next four opponents (USF, New Nexico, UConn and UT) are a combined 31-1 on the season. USF has the only lose of the four...by 10 to Notre Dame.

Will be a long, LONG season for the Gooners.

Edit: UConn and UT back-to-back should break their spirit.

TEXAS



June 27, 2016

"Long before they were inducted into a multitude of Halls of Fame, a pair of prominent women's basketball coaches made a successful attempt to enter into the Guinness Book of World Records. The year was 1987 - just the sixth season since the NCAA began sponsorship of women's basketball - and the University of Tennessee had six days earlier christened Thompson-Boling Arena, a nearly 25,000-seat gem situated on the banks of the Tennessee River. Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and Texas coach Jody Conradt, who had started an annual series in 1982, teamed up to break the world record for most fans at a women's basketball game. They succeeded.

"There was a lot of buzz about the game and a huge crowd," Conradt said. "I remember Pat saying she had to walk the last few blocks to the game because the traffic was so bad."

Bolstered by a title sponsorship and a ticket giveaway from Wendy's, the fast-food hamburger chain, a then-record crowd of 24,563 fans watched the Longhorns' Clarissa Davis score 45 points to lead No. 2 Texas to a 97-78 upset of top-ranked and defending NCAA Champion Tennessee.

"After we won the game, we were excited and elated," Conradt said. "I took the team to eat at Wendy's because I thought there was a little irony to that."

It has been the premier rivalry in women's basketball that has stood the test of time. Tennessee and Texas have faced off for each of the last 34 years, but the matchup has always been about more than bragging rights. It is a rivalry based in friendship, mutual admiration and, most importantly, one centered on growing the sport.

"That rivalry sort of set the stage for the emergence of women's basketball and I hope it set an example for even today's coaches," Conradt said. "Sometimes you have to look at what you do as being bigger than you or bigger than your individual institution. A rising tide raises the level of all boats and we sometimes forget that because we are more concerned with what is happening in our portion of the world."

Upon hearing the news Monday of the recent decline in Summitt's health, Conradt took the opportunity to reflect on her friendship with the former Tennessee coach, who always centered her focus on people her players, her family and friends.

"My 30-plus year friendship with Pat Summitt is one I will always cherish, especially in a business that doesn't always breed genuine friendship," Conradt said. "It was evident, even in her early coaching years, that she'd leave her footprints on our game."

The two coaches had known each other for a number of years
They first met working a camp in South Carolina in the 1970s.

In 1982, they made a deliberate decision to schedule an annual meeting between their two teams. The two programs had met once before - in 1978 - in the Mid-American Classic in Columbia, Mo.

The climate surrounding the start of the series was much different than in present day. Just months earlier, Louisiana Tech defeated Cheyney State in Norfolk, Va., for the first NCAA Division I women's basketball championship. Resources were scarce for many programs and television coverage was virtually non-existent. As they would their entire careers, Conradt and Summitt made a decision with global implications that would later prove monumental in increasing exposure and interest in collegiate women's basketball.

"We had been ranked really high and Tennessee had been ranked really high," Conradt said. "We had a conversation about what we could do to promote women's basketball. One of the things we thought would help would be to get really good teams to play each other and not be concerned about how that impacted the win-loss situation with either team. We wanted to do something for the greater good of the sport, That was Pat and me, but it was also because of the support of the administrations at both institutions."

The two teams have met a total of 37 times, with the Lady Vols winning 23 and the Longhorns 14. Regardless of the national rankings, records or expectations, the series has continued. That the annual matchup between the two teams will remain has never been questioned.

"There was a time when we were struggling and we weren't competitive," Conradt said. "There would be a temptation to say, 'I don't think we need to play this game because we can't compete,' or for their side to say 'This isn't helping us get better.' That has never even been a consideration for either side. We did this for the good of the game and it has been good for both programs."

Rewind to March of 1987
Eight months before the historic regular-season match-up that would ensue at Thompson-Boling Arena, the Frank Erwin Special Events Center in Austin TX played host to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Final Four. It was an event that on a multitude of levels demonstrated the rapid growth of women's basketball in the fifth anniversary of the sport's NCAA Championship status.

The host Longhorns were joined by Long Beach State, Louisiana Tech, and Tennessee. The Lady Vols, seeded second in the Mideast Region, became the first non-top seed in the event's short history to claim the national championship. It was the first of Tennessee's eight NCAA Championships won under Summitt's direction. For the first time, the Women's Final Four was a sellout at 15,615 tickets, as fans from across the country poured into Austin to witness four powerhouse teams contend for the national title.

"That Final Four that Tennessee won was a huge statement for women's basketball," Conradt said. "There was a lot of hype and attention. Former UT women's athletics director Donna Lopiano and I went down and stood on the Red River Street side of the Erwin Center in front of the 'Sold Out' sign and had our picture made."

That Final Four marked the beginning of a run of impressive championship success for Summitt's Tennessee squads, but it was also a moment in time when it felt palpable that women's basketball was becoming a premier sport on the national scene. It was an evolution of the sport in a broad sense, but it involved two programs - Tennessee and Texas - who had always been at the forefront of administrative support for women's basketball and female athletes.

"Texas Athletics always has felt a special competitive bond with Tennessee," said Chris Plonsky, University of Texas Director of Women's Athletics. "Administrations at both institutions made early commitments to supporting Title IX and opportunities for women in sport and education."

It was in that moment that the two coaches again teamed up to create an event that changed the course of the sport's history. For Summitt, it involved bringing home to Knoxville the first NCAA trophy in the program's history. For Conradt, and the administrative team at Texas, it involved revolutionizing the importance and feel of the sport's championship event.

"The game and sell-out were important, but I really believe that what we did with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coaches Convention made it seem like the biggest celebration ever," said Conradt, who one year earlier had led Texas to the first undefeated NCAA Championship in the sport's history. "We had a big party picnic in Centennial Park with Bevo there and we taught the teams how to Texas Two-Step. The band played there and we made it a really big deal.

Conradt said, "I think a lot of coaches felt like we made it a big event in a sold-out arena and everyone is celebrating. They thought 'If it can happen in Austin, Texas, it can happen at my institution.' I really viewed that Final Four as a benchmark in terms of what happened after."

There were wins and there were trophies
Conradt and Summitt combined for 1,998 career victories during their respective coaching careers. Both are members of both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. The complete lists of accolades span far and wide. Competing against Summitt was always a challenge, but it was one Conradt welcomed as an opportunity.

"You were going to face a team that was a reflection of Pat's personality," Conradt said. "They were going to be hard-working and they were going to do the hard things. They were really good defensively and they rebounded like crazy. It wasn't going to be something that was going to be beautiful offensively, but you were going to know you were in a battle."

After the battles had subsided and the two coaches retired, each had a statue erected in her honor on her respective campus. It was only fitting that Conradt and Summitt each invited the other to participate in the dedication ceremonies for their statues. Several months after her retirement from the University of Tennessee and more than a year following the diagnosis that shocked the sports world, Summitt traveled to Austin for the ceremony to commemorate Conradt's unprecedented accomplishments at the University of Texas. One year later, Conradt would travel to Knoxville for the same purpose.

"I was very honored that Pat would come to Austin," Conradt said. "She was already having some health issues at that point. The fact that she would make the effort during what had already become difficult public appearances was extremely meaningful. The chance to reciprocate that [in November 2013] was very important and something I won't ever forget."

Those post-coaching appearances were fitting reminders of what the two coaches have always been about a friendship amidst a rivalry and a dedication to growing the game.

"To me now, it's about friendship," Conradt said. "I don't think much about the rivalry or what happened in those games. I think about the friendship with Pat. It's hard to have true friendships when you're competing against somebody. Once I retired, I was able to fully celebrate her successes and be much more appreciative of the friendship that existed."

Despite the great quantity of accomplishments, it is the friendships and relationships that Summitt formed and the impact she has made on countless lives that will endure.

"In the coaching profession, one is judged by her victories and Pat's teams certainly won a ton of games," Conradt said. "But when I think about her greatest impact, I think about the young women she coached and mentored, and how fortunate they are to have had Pat as a leader and coach, and how blessed I have been to have her as a friend."

- Staff, texassports.com

BIG 12

Saturday - Dec 9

USF 74 @ Oklahoma 79

Sunday - Dec 10

North Carolina Central 58 @ Iowa State 99
Coppin State 43 @ West Virginia 101
Southeastern Louisiana 62 @ TCU 112
Texas 75 @ Tennessee 82
Southeast Missouri State 50 @ Kansas 51

BAYLOR & TEXAS



LaChina Robinson & Baylor's Kalani Brown in a previous interview

Around the Rim podcast by LaChina Robinson
in chronological order
.. ESPN Poll that voted Baylor's Brown/Cox as Top 5/4 combo
starts approx 9:43 on meter
.. praise for Kristy Wallace
starts approx 14:00 on meter
.. interview of Texas head coach Karen Aston

Link to podcast
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=21699481

ODU's Miller Named National Freshman of the Week

December 12, 2017

"Oklahoma State guard BraxtinMiller was tabbed the Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Freshman of the Week, as awarded by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on Tuesday.

Miller, a 5-10 guard from Centerville, Ohio, scored 19 points, shot 8-for-10 from the line, grabbed four rebounds, dealt two assists and had two steals playing all but two of the minutes in the 87-72 upset of then-No. 7 UCLA in Oklahoma State's lone game played last week.

Since the 1987-88 season, the USBWA has named a women's National Player of the Year. For the 2012-13 season, the national and weekly player award has been named for Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American Ann Meyers Drysdale.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA. The winner of the 2018 Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year will be announced and presented at the USBWA's annual awards event in Columbus, Ohio, site of the 2018 NCAA Women's Final Four.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season."

BIG 12
No games scheduled for Dec 11 or 12

Non-Conference Game Standings
as of December 12, 12:21 PM CT

9-0 West Virginia
8-1 Baylor
8-1 Kansas
7-1 Texas
7-2 Oklahoma State
7 2 TCU
6 2 Kansas State
4-5 Iowa State
4-5 Oklahoma
3-5 Texas Tech

Going to be some really good competition this year.

BIG 12

Wednesday - Dec 13

McNeese 34 @ Baylor 95
Prairie View 60 @ Texas Tech 89
Northwestern State 44 @ Texas 68

Texas Head Coach Karen Aston during first half vs Tennessee


Inside the Texas Trip to Tennessee

December 11, 2017

"Ariel Atkins strolled past the holiday parties taking place in the ballrooms and made her way to a private dining room at the Crowne Plaza. The Texas women's basketball team had just arrived in Knoxville to play Tennessee the following afternoon in a nationally-televised showdown between unbeatens. As music pulsated from within the nearby walls, Atkins grabbed a plate and made her way through the buffet line of chicken, coleslaw, corn on the cob, salad and rolls.

The senior guard has prepared for many big games in her decorated career, and doesn't get tangled in superstitions. There are too many variables on road trips to worry about eating the same meal or sitting in the same seat every time. Atkins prefers to roll with whatever is thrown her way and appreciate the challenge every unique atmosphere presents.

"Someone asked me in an interview the other day who you look forward to playing most at Tennessee, and I was like, 'Tennessee. The entire place,'" Atkins said as a light snow dusted the street outside. "People love Tennessee women's basketball. It is so much fun to be in an environment where people are passionate about women's basketball. There are not a lot of environments like this. It's just amazing."

Texas provided The Summitt with an all-access look at how the Longhorns prepared for their game against Tennessee once they landed in Knoxville on their charter flight. From the team meal the night before to the pregame speech in the locker room to the post-game reflections, Texas gave a window into its program's dynamics.

The Longhorns arrived with an unscathed record and No. 2 ranking, and left with sore bodies and a few lessons learned.

The Texas bus rolled into Thompson-Boling Arena for a 9 a.m. shoot-around. As the players streamed onto the court to escape the chilly air, many were taking photos or recording video on their phones.

Washington Mystics head coach Mike Thibault and his son, Eric, were sitting in the stands awaiting the team's arrival. They would be staying all day to scout both teams. Thibault greeted Texas associate head coach Tina Thompson with a big hug and exchanged pleasantries with other members of the Texas staff.

ESPN commentators Debbie Antonelli and Beth Mowins soon arrived and grabbed a courtside seat to watch the team run through half-court sets and inbound plays. Antonelli was completing a Tennessee doubleheader, having called the men's game on Saturday afternoon.

Few programs can boast a "scout" team for shoot-around that includes a four-time WNBA champion and former NCAA Comeback Player of the Year, but Thompson and Jamie Carey give Texas that luxury. The Texas assistants spent nearly 30 minutes denying the post and entry passes during 5-on-5 sets.

Texas head coach Karen Aston sensed a lack of focus at one point, and reminded the players it could cost them during the game.

The 39th all-time meeting between No. 2 Texas and No. 11 Tennessee would be an early-season barometer for the storied programs. It would have a postseason-like feel without the one-and-done ramifications.

The Longhorns have been playing without sophomore post Joyner Holmes. The reigning Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year is suspended for the fall semester due to an unspecified university violation. She is not enrolled in classes and cannot travel or practice with the team. How Texas will look once Holmes returns is something Aston can't answer. She is focused on the daily process of working with the players available right now.

After the Longhorns finish the hour-long shoot-around with free throws, they gather at mid-court, raise their fists and yell "win" on three.

Aston chats with Antonelli and Mowins before filming a quick spot for the program's social media accounts. The team boards the bus and heads back to the hotel for rest and a pregame meal.



#23 Ariel Atkins

Atkins began keeping a journal during high school, and has written about anything in everything in her life ever since. She brings a journal on every road trip, and catalogs different memories or feelings.

"I have never finished a journal. It's kind of like how you never finish a ChapStick," Atkins said. "I want to finish one so bad, but then I see a new one at the store and think, 'Oh God. That is nice. I am just going to start writing in this one.'"

Atkins is determined to fill the final page of the journal chronicling her senior season. Where the Tennessee trip fits into the arc remains to be seen. Her old journals are tucked away in a closet at home, always available if reflection is needed.

"I do read them, especially when I'm having kind of an overwhelming day," said the introspective former top-ranked recruit. "I just go back and read them and realize I have come so far and this is really nothing compared to the past."

After her basketball career ends, Atkins wants to start a business that uses basketball and education to help young children.

"I think it's important people find ways to reach kids beyond money. If you give a kid $10, they are going to spend it and come back for more. But if you give a kid a different way to view life, they are going to want to learn more. It has more value," Atkins said. "My mom always told me, 'Be somebody that you needed,' and that is what I am trying to do. I just want to be somebody who kids can look up to and be a good role model. I want to show them perfection isn't a thing, but if you strive for excellence some pretty good things are attainable."

Atkins and senior backcourt mate Brooke McCarty were the first two McDonald's All-Americans to sign with Aston at Texas. The native Texans have been the foundation for the program the last four years. Their chemistry and leadership has lifted the Longhorns back to national prominence.

"The vibe is definitely different your senior year. Every day you realize that this could be it. There is more of an urgency," Atkins said. "Coach used to tell us all the time seniors have more urgency than younger players and I never understood it because I was busting my butt every day and thought I wanted it just as bad as the next person. But now I realize it is my last year and the last time I will be wearing a UT uniform."

Texas designates one road trip each season to bring donors along. The boosters travel on the charter, ride on the bus and eat meals with the team. The game against Tennessee was an obvious destination point this season. Dr. Julia Hickman and her husband, Dr. Cecil Reynolds, have been Texas season ticket holders for 30 years and has traveled with the Longhorns on every road trip for the last 27 years.

They take a seat directly behind the Texas bench at Thompson-Boling Arena and prepare to witness another another game between the top-five winningest programs in the history of women's basketball.



The Texas team's slogan this year is "Family Over Everything," and Hickman is carrying a sign saying "We Believe N Family" with autographs covering every inch of white space.

"I am like the group mom. Whoever needs a hug, whoever needs a smile, whoever needs a 'Get Em,' that is what I do," Hickman said. "We don't have big families, so the staff, the players and the fans at Texas, they are our family. They are very special to us and we love everything about it."

Hickman is familiar with this area of the country. She grew up in Alabama and once owned a home in Chattanooga, Tennessee for eight years.

"When it comes to women's basketball, we feel a bond with the opposing fans no matter who it is," Hickman said. "Our fans know the parents, kids and grandparents of all the current and former players, and I know it's the same for most other fan bases. It's important the kids at every school are supported all the time."

Her concern goes far beyond basketball. In 2013, Hickman and Reynolds donated money to establish the Julia Hickman and Cecil Reynolds Team Spirit Fellowship to support female student-athletes who have completed their eligibility and are pursuing a postgraduate degree at Texas.

"Our fan base is behind us no matter what and you need people in your life like that," Atkins said. "It's not only the fan base, but everyone that surrounds UT. From the professors to the coaches, everyone here is so supportive of your dreams and goals and what you want to do. It's just fun to be in a family environment, and Texas pride runs deep."



Few venues can get rocking like Thompson-Boling Arena, and the Tennessee faithful are starting to realize the Lady Vols are legit this season after a few inconsistent years. They sense the team's improved chemistry and revitalization behind a core of experienced players and four talented freshmen. Nearly 10,000 showed up to watch the weekend's marquee Top 25 match-up and provided full-throttled electricity. Tennessee increased the magnitude by honoring three of its national championship teams from the 1987, 1997 and 2007 seasons.

Texas knows what it's walking into. Nine minutes before tip-off, the Longhorns gathered in the visiting locker room with Aston going over a few tactical reminders written on the whiteboard.

"The last thing I'll say to ya'll is this should be fun. I say that a lot, but again, you come here to play in these kind of games. You come here to play in these kind of traditional games," Aston said. "This has been going on for over 30 years. You play this game because you love basketball. You play this game because it is a showcase game for women's basketball, so the only thing I ask of you is to play it in the honor of the game. Play it the way it's supposed to be played and give it your best effort."

Texas immediately fell behind Tennessee, and spent the entire afternoon working to fight back. Atkins stroked a left-handed jumper to pull Texas even at 29 to start the second half, but Tennessee freshman Evina Westbrook answered with a 3-pointer and the Lady Vols (10-0) kept Texas (7-1) at bay for the remainder of the 82-75 win.

Although not always pretty, the game was compelling, intense and physical. There were technical fouls, stare downs and bodies strewn across the floor. Three Texas players fouled out, another left with an injury (Jordan Hosey) and Atkins was badly shaken up in a second-half collision.

McCarty struggled to find her rhythm, finishing 2 of 15 from the field with eight points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Atkins and Lashann Higgs tried to keep Texas within striking distance, but poor shot selection, turnovers and Tennessee offensive rebounds stymied the Longhorn's comeback hopes.

"Quite honestly, it didn't look like we were a very well-coached team today," Aston said. "I will definitely go back in film, do a better job, because our team didn't look very well-coached. That bothers me because I like to pay a lot of attention to detail. We didn't look very detail-oriented today."

Aston expected Tennessee to be hungry to snap a three-game losing streak in the series, and wanted to see how her team dealt with adversity in a hostile environment.

"I kind of felt like we were going to run into that, where they would be very determined, and we didn't respond to that very well," Aston said. "That is what I learned about our team, that we're not quite ready to respond to somebody popping you in the mouth. Because we got popped today, and we'll get better from this. There's no question."

After the players showered and packed their bags, they boarded the bus for the airport. The charter flight home would be much quieter following the first loss of the young season.

The Longhorns don't have much time to stew. They play Northwestern State in three days and have another big game against No. 12 Florida State on the weekend.

Atkins was tight-lipped in the aftermath of the loss, saying Texas needed to get physically and mentally tougher. She will likely save a more detailed account of the road trip for her journal, where her true emotions can flow freely through the written word.

"I am not a fan of losing by any means, but you can't fixate on it because then you miss everything," Atkins said. "That is what I don't want to do my senior year. I don't want to miss anything. I want to be focused and enjoy it."

- article by Rhiannon Potkey, summithoops.com
- photos gathered from the web

They are absolutely void of competitive post play without Holmes.
Will be interesting to see how long it takes for Holmes to get ready once she returns.

Pale Rider said:

---

They are absolutely void of competitive post play without Holmes.
Will be interesting to see how long it takes for Holmes to get ready once she returns.

---

Ain't it grand!!!

RioRata said:

---

slimecap said:

---

BIG 12

Saturday - Dec 9

USF @ Oklahoma 2:00 p.m. CT Norman OK FS Oklahoma

---

OU'S next four opponents (USF, New Nexico, UConn and UT) are a combined 31-1 on the season. USF has the only lose of the four...by 10 to Notre Dame.

Will be a long, LONG season for the Gooners.

Edit: UConn and UT back-to-back should break their spirit.

---

Oh how I hope!

BIG 12

Saturday - Dec 16

UALittle Rock 51 @ Kansas State 66
New Mexico 63 @ Oklahoma 105
Radford 55 @ West Virginia 75

Ruh roh. Soonerettes are suddenly looking as though they have life.

RioRata said:

---

Ruh roh. Soonerettes are suddenly looking as though they have life.

---

Link to Oklahoma post-game press conference
http://www.soonersports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?ATCLID=211689806&SPSID=750397&SPID=127261&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=31000&id=6232402

slimecap said:

---

RioRata said:

---

Ruh roh. Soonerettes are suddenly looking as though they have life.

---

`

`
Link to Oklahoma post-game press conference
http://www.soonersports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?ATCLID=211689806&SPSID=750397&SPID=127261&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=31000&id=6232402
`


`

---

The Lloyd Noble Center allowed the girl on the right to bring her scarecrow???

TEXAS TECH





Sheryl Swoopes & Marsha Sharp


December 16, 2017

"Marsha Sharp is going to be in an interesting spot for Sunday's 2 p.m. tip-off with UT-Rio Grande Valley. It's been more than a decade since she retired as a women's basketball hall of famer and 25 seasons since she delivered Texas Tech its only athletics national championship. But the ex-Lady Raiders head coach has a little-thought-of streak she'll watch live or die in the game.

Former Sharp players Candi Whitaker and Sheryl Swoopes have an opportunity to join their coach in a small piece of a grand puzzle of success by coaching inside Municipal Coliseum. Sunday's contest against UTRGV will be the first women's game at the The Bubble since Feb. 27, 1999, a 76-56 win against Texas for the Lady Raiders' 16th consecutive victory in the venue dating back to the 1997-1998 season. The Texas Tech-UTRGV matchup is also the closing game of the throwback series the men's team kicked off Saturday night by hosting old Southwest Conference foe Rice.

"I've been in there just a couple of times actually since we moved out," Sharp said. "It's going to be one of those things, you walk into the door and see everything. It takes you right back to the time we played in there. So it'll be a really special day, I think. I think a lot of our fans will feel that way."

Sharp played a role in establishing the United Supermarkets Arena even before coaching in the venue its inaugural season. Based in part because the Lady Raiders' crowds were almost always flirting with the 8,344-seat sellout mark before the groundbreaking, Texas Tech's brass thought a new arena with a larger capacity would serve the university well.

The 15,000-seat United Supermarkets Arena was built and thought ideal for hosting women's NCAA Tournament games even men's tournament games and size-wise could host even higher-profile events. But the Coliseum, in contrast, went from the home of Texas Tech basketball to the host of third-tier professional hockey and rodeos. Then just rodeos.

It has returned to prominence, for a fleeting moment, with the favored Lady Raiders (4-5) playing UTRGV (9-3) on a new court designed to look old. This will be the Vaqueros' third game against a school from a major conference. They lost to Oklahoma State and Wisconsin by a combined score of 162-92.

"I am going to be excited that Swoopes is going to be in the building," Sharp said, "because so many memories are built around her and, of course, we dropped a national championship banner in that building. All of her career was played in there, so it will be special to have her in the building."

Swoopes joined Whitaker's staff as an assistant this past offseason. It's her second stint with the program in some capacity since capping her collegiate career with the 1993 national championship and then becoming one of the original stars of the WNBA in addition to playing for Team USA. A second hall of famer from the Texas Tech program, Swoopes hopes the current Lady Raiders gain a deeper connection to the women they have followed onto the court.

"There's a lot of great memories here," Swoopes said. "But I think, regardless of where you play, you have the opportunity to build something. Start something new. My hopes would be when we play here that the players will really embrace the opportunity to be a part of history and the tradition. I really hope they get excited about the moment."

UTRGV comes into the meeting with one scorer, Quynne Huggins, averaging double digits. She's a junior college transfer who comes off the bench as frequently as she starts.

Texas Tech is coming off a win Wednesday against Prairie View A&M at United Supermarkets Arena. The Lady Raiders snapped a four-game losing skid and have an opportunity to get back to .500 with one non-conference game slated for Thursday against Incarnate Word.

"I know a lot of work has gone into this game and these two opportunities for the men's and women's basketball to get this gym ready for us to play a game," Whitaker said. "There's a lot that's changed since we played a game in here. They worked really, really hard to make this happen and we sure appreciate it."

- Mike Graham, Lubbock Avalanche Journal Media

BIG 12

Sunday - Dec 17

Florida State 72 @ Texas 87
Northwestern State 51 @ TCU 89
UC Riverside 66 @ Iowa State 89
UTRGV 64 @ Texas Tech 80

BIG 12

KANSAS STATE

TCU

BIG 12

Monday - Dec 18

Baylor 85 @ Nicholls 43
Chicago State 51 @ Kansas State 99

Tuesday - Dec 19

USC Upstate 71 @ Oklahoma State 108
Oklahoma 64 vs UConn 88

Wednesday - Dec 20

Kansas 72 @ Iona 58
Hampton 68 @ TCU 90

Thursday - Dec 21

Nicholls 47 @ Iowa State 75
Incarnate Word 54 @ Texas Tech 80
Morehead State 56 @ West Virginia 66
Northern Iowa 72 @ Kansas State 71
ULM 58 @ Oklahoma State 112

Bench scoring lifts UNI over Kansas State on the Road

"In a game that was dominated by runs and lead changes, UNI senior Kennedy Kirkpatrick and junior Mikaela Morgan combined to score 42 points off the bench as the University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team (4-7) held on for a gutsy road victory over Kansas State (8-3), 72-71.

Kansas State had a chance to win or tie Thursday's game at the free throw line, but Kayla Goth missed both shots from the charity stripe as UNI held on for the road victory. With the win, UNI improved to 4-7 on the season, while KSU fell to 8-3 overall to cap the non-conference slate.

"Every time they went on a run, we would answer it and that's what good teams do," UNI head coach Tanya Warren said. "We could've ducked our heads a little bit in the fourth quarter, but we found a way to get a stop and the win."

The Power-5 victory for UNI was its second of the season, with the first coming against Iowa State on Nov. 14. The pair of Power-5 wins for the Panthers are the most since the 2015-16 season.

Kirkpatrick finished the game with a career-high 24 points, after nailing seven shots from beyond-the-arc. Morgan was not far behind in points or 3-pointers, after finishing with a career-high 18 points and six made treys.

UNI went 22-of-53 (41.5%) from the floor, while shooting lights out from the 3-point line at 16-of-31 (51.6%). The 16 made 3-pointers were a season-high for UNI and also a season-high given up by Kansas State. UNI was extremely efficient on offense as the Panthers earned 22 baskets on 22 assists.

UNI battled a tough Kansas State zone early on, but made four 3-pointers to loosen up the Wildcat defense. Morgan drained three of those shots from beyond-the-arc, as she added nine points off the bench to give UNI a 16-14 lead after the opening period.

UNI would build a 28-20 advantage following a trey from Kirkpatrick, but Kansas State mounted a 9-0 run to retake the lead with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter. UNI wouldn't back down, however, as they returned a 12-6 run to hold a 40-35 advantage at the break.

The 3-point trend continued into the third quarter for UNI, as Kirkpatrick opened the half with a pair of triples before Ellie Howell added another to give UNI its largest lead of the game at 49-37 with 5:44 left in the period. Kansas State clawed back with a 15-2 run to close out the quarter and retake the lead.

Trailing by 62-60, UNI's Megan Maahs made a pair of free throws to tie the game with 2:41 remaining, before Kirkpatrick buried a pair of 3-pointers down the stretch to give UNI a 68-64 lead with 1:13 left. Kansas State made a final push by knocking down a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to a point, but couldn't convert a pair of free throws to win. UNI left Manhattan KS with a 72-71 victory.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• The win over the Power 5 foe is UNI's second of the season, with the first coming against Iowa State (57-53) on Nov. 14.
• The two wins over Power 5 opponents is the most for UNI since the 2015-16 season, when the Panthers defeated Georgia Tech and Nebraska.
• Thursday's game had 10 lead changes and seven ties.
• The 16 made 3-pointers for UNI was one shy of a school record.
• The seven made 3-pointers for Kirkpatrick were also one shy of a school record for an individual at UNI."

- UNI WBB website

Geezus. Kansas may have a better team than K State. Whoda thunk

Glad to see Tech back on track.

Pale Rider said:

---

Glad to see Tech back on track.

---

I trust you're kidding. I seriously doubt they will win over 3 games in Big 12. They are setting at 6-5 and every win was an angel food cupcake.

geewago said:

---

Pale Rider said:

---

Glad to see Tech back on track.

---

Are you kidding. I seriously doubt they will win over 3 games in Big 12.

---

Maybe. Probably. But if they are stronger it's better for the conference.

Tech is as low as I can ever remember.

True. But I am wanting them to do better. Much better.
They were showing promise a year or two ago. Not sure why they have fallen.