NORMAN — The Oklahoma women are in an admirable position.
Following Wednesday night’s furious come-from-behind victory over Kansas State, the Sooners are on schedule to build toward the postseason, with every chance to earn the No. 2 seed at the approaching Big 12 tournament.
Of course, like all things in the conference, the position is tenuous. Today, OU (17-8, 9-4) is at Hilton Coliseum to visit Iowa State (15-9, 6-7).
The Cyclones have victories over Kansas, Texas Tech and Texas in Ames. Away from home, they lost to Texas by a bucket and topped Kansas State.
They’re plenty dangerous.
Good thing the Sooners have Whitney Hand on their side, here lately, perhaps, even doing more than before.
Last time out, Hand led OU in the scorebook for the fourth-straight game in the Sooners’ 68-62 victory over the Wildcats.
In Hand’s first 17 games this season, she scored at least 16 points six times. She has done it six times in her last eight games, too.
Ever the unselfish player, she’s not entirely comfortable with it.
“I don’t think it’s a singular focus,” she said. “I don’t’ think I’m feeling that I need to score; it’s just something that’s got to happen … As a leader and a veteran, I have to realize what our team needs.”
Hand’s coming off a 20-point game at Baylor, a 17-point game against Missouri, 18 against Connecticut and 16 against Kansas State. She’s also become an iron woman, playing 40, 36, 40 and 40 minutes in those games.
The effort isn’t lost on her teammates.
“She’s always doing stuff,” freshman guard Sharane Campbell said. “So, it’s really not surprising. If she’s not scoring, she’s giving in another way. She’s always giving.”
More points has required more shots — 56 in her last four games, more than any other four-game stretch this season for Hand. It’s something else she may be struggling to come to terms with.
“That’s way more than I usually shoot,” Hand said. “And that’s what coach is preaching to me, ‘You need to get up at least 15 shots a game,’ and that’s really hard for me.”
She’s forcing herself to at least get close.
“It’s not the kind of player I am. I don’t see myself that way,” Hand said. “I’m trying to do more. It’s about what the team needs. “
And if she worries about her teammates believing she’s shooting too much, she needn’t.
“How emotional she is about the game, how into it she is, how much she wants everybody to do well,” is what sticks with Campbell. “It’s like, I have to do it (too), because I want to be like that some day.”
Most importantly, it has worked. The Sooners have won 5 of 6 conference games and can win another big one tonight.
Clay Horning 366-3526 cfhorning@normantranscript.com
