By ROBERT CESSNAThe Oklahoma women's basketball team wants its fans to cheer like a champion, but Texas A&M plans to quiet the Noble Center by playing like one.
The eighth-ranked Aggies face the 13th-ranked and defending Big 12 champion Sooners at 4:30 p.m. Sunday in A&M's first nationally televised game of the season.
"We've had a lot of regional stuff, but we haven't had any national attention yet," said A&M head coach Gary Blair, whose team was unranked to start the season. "When we go on that stage Sunday afternoon, we have a chance that everybody's going to be watching us, and people will want to see if we're for real. I think our kids will be up for that."
A&M (14-1, 2-0) already is almost a cinch for a fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but this team has a chance to be Blair's best in seven seasons. A pair of veteran coaches whose teams were steamrolled by the Aggies -- Iowa State's Bill Fennelly and Lamar's Larry Tidwell -- said so, but Blair said he's not getting caught in that trap game.
"It's too early to tell. We're still a work in progress."
Maybe, but A&M is the highest-ranked team in the country's highest-rated league, which has seven schools in the Top 25. The Aggies are 5-0 against ranked opponents, including victories over Texas and ISU to open Big 12 play -- victories that stretched A&M's winning streak to seven.
But winning in Norman, Okla., against OU, which reached the Final Four last year, will earn A&M more national attention than any previous triumph this season.
The Sooners (11-4, 1-1) are no strangers to the big stage. In the last three seasons, OU has played Arizona State, North Carolina, Connecticut, California, Maryland, Tennessee, Arizona State, Ohio State and Georgia.
"We want the chance to play the games Oklahoma has gotten," Blair said. "To do that, you've got to beat the teams like Oklahoma. Then maybe television is going to want us."
The A&M-OU series has been great for TV in recent years.
The Aggies have won seven of the last nine meetings, getting the best of Oklahoma All-American Courtney Paris and twin Ashley, including a 57-56 Big Monday victory last season that was one of the program's more memorable games.
But A&M is only 2-14 all time in Norman, where Blair said a key will be silencing the crowd early.
"We've gotten off to good starts," Blair said. "Even if it's not a good offensive start, [we have to] make sure we get off to a good defensive start."
Baylor used defense to pin a 57-47 loss on Oklahoma on Wednesday. OU hit only 18 of 63 shots from the field, including 1 of 15 from 3-point range
"Our offensive performance was abysmal," said OU head coach Sherri Coale, who is in her 14th season. "[It was] maybe one of the worst offensive performances one of my teams has ever had."
Offense hasn't been a problem for A&M, which is averaging 82.8 points per game, good for fourth in the country. Without the Parises to clog the lane, the Sooners are allowing 67.3 points a game, last in the Big 12.
*
NOTES -- The A&M-OU game is the second of a TV doubleheader with No. 11 Nebraska (15-0, 2-0) at No. 9 Baylor (14-2, 1-1) in the opener at 2:30 p.m. on FSN ... This is the second straight season A&M is the opponent for OU's annual Cheer Like a Champion game where every seat will be draped with a white T-shirt as fans file in. OU won 71-59 last year. Two years ago, OU claimed a 68-56 victory on Pack the Place Pink Night. A&M eked out a 54-52 victory three years ago to spoil "WhiteOUt" at the Lloyd Noble Center. ... OU will be without guard Whitney Hand (season-ending knee injury) who was the Big 12 freshman of the year last season.
TEXAS A&M WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Sunday's game: No. 8 Texas A&M (14-1, 2-0) at No. 13 Oklahoma (11-4, 1-1), 4:30 p.m.
TV/radio: FSN, Ch. 25/KZNE, 1150 AM
LINEUPS
TEXAS A&M (14-1, 2-0)
NAMEPOS.HT.CL.PPGRPG
Sydney ColsonG5-8Jr.7.55.2*
Tanisha SmithF6-0Sr.17.3 4.7
Tyra WhiteG6-0So.10.13.0
Adaora ElonuF6-1So.9.6 3.6
Damitria Buchanan F6-2Sr.3.54.9
OKLAHOMA (11-4, 1-1)
NAMEPOS.HT.CL.PPGRPG
Danielle RobinsonG5-9Jr.15.95.4*
Nyeshia StevensonG5-10Sr.13.54.1
Carlee RoethlisbergerF6-1So.9.25.1
Amanda ThompsonF6-1Sr.11.49.5
Abi Olajuwon C6-3Sr.12.36.1
*assists per game
Notice about comments:
Theeagle.com is pleased to offer readers the ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. theeagle.com cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not theeagle.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Full terms and conditions can be read here.
Aggiesports.com is proud to offer our users enhanced commenting features. You can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends’ recent posts, add an avatar that fits your personality and more. If you have posted here before you’ll need to sign up again, and if you’ve never posted start now by signing up! If you've already registered for the new comments on www.theeagle.com then just use your Eagle username to log in and start commenting.