Claremore Daily Progress

Sports

November 2, 2012

Coale's Sooners wallop Oklahoma Christian, 118-53

CLAY HORNING CNHI News Services

NORMAN — It was old.



It was new.



It was sloppy.



It was fun.



The Oklahoma women’s 118-53 exhibition victory over Oklahoma Christian Thursday night at Lloyd Noble Center was everything rolled into 40 minutes.



It was old because the Sooners’ starting five included Whitney Hand, Nicole Griffin, Morgan Hook, Aaryn Ellenberg and Joanna McFarland, a starting five that combined on 148 starts last season.



It was new because the Sooners showcased their newcomer trio of Maddie Manning, Portia Durrett and Nicole Kornet: a combined 39 points on 14 of 23 shooting, 24 rebounds and nine assists between them.



It was sloppy because both teams combined on 54 turnovers, 22 of them belonging to OU. And it was fun because, despite the sloppiness, the possibilities for the home team were ever-present.



“We got exactly what we wanted to get out of the exhibition game,” OU coach Sherri Coale said. “The last part of that being that we got to play in front of people and work out whatever kind of stage fright we might have associated with that.”



It will be much different against Big 12 and, eventually, NCAA tournament competition, but if OU can repeat some of its success against the Eagles come the regular season, it will enjoy dimensions unseen in recent seasons.



One, Griffin was a machine in the post, finishing with a game-high 23 points on 8-of-9 shooting and 7-of-8 foul shooting. And she wasn’t merely effective in the halfcourt, but also in transition.



“I worked on post position and getting the ball where I can score,” said Griffin, who was voted most improved in the offseason by her teammates. “I’ve worked on a couple of moves and on my hands; working on trying to catch the ball and looking to pass at the same time.”



She didn’t have to pass much Monday because she was reaching the block in the 4 seconds she had herself to post up each possession. Griffin didn’t give the Eagles time to double-team her.



Two, the Sooners made a point of working their transition game. That’s how they scored 67 points in the second half, it was the way Morgan Hook finished with nine assists and it was in overdrive as long as Manning was leading the break, which tended to be whenever she grabbed a backcourt pass or a defensive rebound.



“Maddie has a really high motor,” Coale said. “It’s important to get her playing at the right speed. I love that push.”



Manning matched her five assists with five turnovers and scored nine points to go with a co-team high eight rebounds. Hook, who finished with 18 points, joined her in getting the offense moving.



“We are trying to push the ball early in transition,” Hook said.



Everybody had their moments.



Hand led OU with four steals and grabbed seven rebounds in just 19 minutes of court time. Durrett finished with 16 points and six rebounds, while Kornet added 14 and matched Manning’s eight boards. Aaryn Ellenberg was her unbashful self, finishing with 15 points on 5 of 17 shooting.



As a team, OU hit 58.3 percent (42 of 72 ) from the floor, while limiting OC to 24.7 percent (18 of 73) floor accuracy.



Katy O’Steen led the Eagles with 12 points.



The Sooners hit the century mark with two free throws from Sharane Campbell with 7:08 remaining.



They weren’t nearly done.

 

Text Only
Sports
  • Practice_051web.jpg ‘All-State Brace’

    All the hours and hard work of keeping the Claremore Zebra athletes injury-free in order to reach their dreams at the highest level helped graduate Averey Brace fulfill a huge accomplishment in her athletic training career.
    Brace, a recent 2013 graduate of Claremore High School, received All-State honors from the Oklahoma Coaches Association earlier this month for her three-year commitment to the Claremore High School athletic training program.

    May 17, 2013 1 Photo

  • Sign up now for OSU Baseball Camp

    Oklahoma State Baseball will be holding a pair of camps in June for players in grades 1-8, and registration is now open.
     
    Session I of the camp is June 17-19, with Session II set for June 24-26, and cost for each camp is $200. Camp runs from 9 a.m.-noon each day.

    May 17, 2013

  • Lady Zebra volleyball camp set for May 20

    The Claremore Lady Zebra volleyball camp will take place on May 20-23 at the Claremore High School gymnasium.
    Under the direction of Lady Zebra head coach Lindsey Renfroe, campers will receive instruction in fundamentals — passing, setting, hitting and serving.

    May 17, 2013

  • Green Country All-Star Games start May 23 in Catoosa

    Area senior all-star athletes from 21 schools in northeastern Oklahoma will lace up their high tops, hoist their bats and dust off their pom-poms in preparation for the 2013 Green Country All-Star Games held May 23-24 in Catoosa.

    May 17, 2013

  • SEC BASEBALL: Auburn blanks No. 13 Arkansas, 3-0

    Conner Kendrick and Terrance Dedrick combined on a five-hit shutout as Auburn defeated No. 13 Arkansas, 3-0, in the series opener on Thursday night at Plainsman Park.

    Arkansas drops to 34-18 overall and 17-10 in Southeastern Conference play, while Auburn is now 32-21 and 12-16 in league play.

    May 17, 2013

  • GOLF: Bradley gets course-record 60 at Byron Nelson

    Keegan Bradley had no thoughts of a course record, or the possibility of a 59, after consecutive bogeys in the middle of his opening round at the Byron Nelson Championship.

    Until his 136-yard wedge shot on his final hole Thursday.

    “It was going right at it. (A 59) crossed my mind for a second, and it would be unbelievable if I buried this,” Bradley said. “But I had 3 feet to shoot 60. I was actually very nervous, uncomfortable over it and thank God I made it.”

    May 17, 2013

  • Cowboys rock Mountaineers, 7-4

    Oklahoma State showcased its offensive ability in its series opener against West Virginia on Thursday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

    Whether it’s small ball or the long ball — both of which came into effect — the 16th-ranked Cowboys are proving they can find a way to win here late in the season with a 7-4 mauling of the Mountaineers.

    May 17, 2013

  • OU baseball closes out regular season play at K-State

    Moods were light as Oklahoma boarded a bus for Manhattan, Kan., Thursday afternoon. What they’ll be like by Sunday depends on what transpires over the next three games.

    The Sooners’ season hinges on the outcome.

    May 17, 2013

  • Westbrook's injury hinders Thunder's playoff run

    The way Kevin Martin describes it, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost the “vision” of a potential championship run the morning they learned All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook would be out for the rest of the postseason.

    May 17, 2013

  • NSU women's golf in 8th place at NCAA Division II Championship

    The Northeastern State women’s golf team sits in eighth place after Thursday’s second round of the 2013 NCAA Division II Championships on the par-72, 6,228-yard Legends Course at LPGA International.

    May 17, 2013