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December 9, 2009

First-half woes irk Sooner women

OU looks to end slow starts in New York

By Clay Horning

One game leads to another and the Oklahoma women are hoping what happened last Saturday against Arkansas will serve them well tonight at Marist and Thursday night at Army.

The 16th-ranked Sooners meet the Red Foxes tonight in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., one night before remaining in the Empire State to visit West Point, home of the United States Military Academy.

Last Saturday, OU continued a disturbing pattern of mediocre first-half play and it led to a 46-33 halftime deficit.

Five of OU’s opponents have scored at least 36 first-half points and the Sooners (6-2) have trailed at the half three times this season and led by only a point in another game.

But trailing by 13, as they did to the Razorbacks, was a new experience. Just the same, so was the 16-point deficit they fought back from in the second half to force overtime and win 87-86.

Now OU has the opportunity to shed what’s wrong and emphasize what’s good on consecutive nights.

“Even though we (beat Arkansas), it was only by one (point) in overtime and … we need to win that game in the first half,” Sooner forward Amanda Thompson said. “We need a better start, because if we don’t start well, we’re not going to have luck like that all the time.”

Point guard Danielle Robinson was the one who saved the Sooners against the Razorbacks, scoring 24 of her 31 points after the half. She believes it’s up to her to get the team moving early.

“We’re not moving at the beginning of the game,” she said. “It’s like everybody’s looking around for someone to make that play, and it starts with me on offense, especially when we’re running motion.

“I’ve got to cut first to get the action moving and I haven’t been doing that. Coach has been telling me and telling me and telling me.”

It’s a good spot for OU to rack up some victories before getting nine days off until visiting Creighton Dec. 20

Marist (4-3) began the season on the edge of the Top 25, but has lost at West Virginia (55-50), to Oklahoma State (71-69) in the Bahamas and at St. Bonaventure (61-43).

Army (5-3) played Manhattan Tuesday night at West Point. The Sooners will be the best team the Knights have faced by a long shot.

“We’re bringing our heart with us,” Robinson said. “We took some pride in the second half (against Arkansas) and made things happen. The momentum that we have will carry over with us.”

Clay Horning

366-3526

cfhorning@normantranscript.com



——————

OU women

at Marist



Time/Place: 6:30 p.m., today, McCann Center, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Records/Rankings: Oklahoma 6-2/No. 16 Associated Press; No. 16 ESPN-USA Today; Marist 4-3/unranked.

Oklahoma starters: G 13 Danielle Robinson (5-9, Jr./17.1 ppg, 6 apg); G 1 Nyeshia Stevenson (5-10, Sr./11.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg); F 10 Carlee Roethlisberger (6-1, Jr./9.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg); F 21 Amanda Thompson (6-1, Sr./12 ppg, 10 rpg); C 34 Abi Olajuwon (6-3, Jr./12.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

Marist starters: G 22 Kristine Best (5-4, So./3.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg); G 24 Corielle Yarde (5-8, So./10.9 ppg, 5.1 apg); G 30 Erica Allenspach (5-8, Jr./12.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg); F 12 Rachele Fitz (6-0, Sr./21.7 ppg, 8.4 rpg);F 31 Lynzee Johnson (5-10, Sr./6.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg)

Series: OU leads 2-0

Radio: KOKC-AM 1520

TV: None

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