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NORMAN — Sherri Coale has a chance to reach a special milestone Sunday.
Heading into OU’s home game against TCU, Coale has 499 career wins.
Coale, who was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, would become the first Sooners basketball coach — in either men’s or women’s — to reach the 500-win mark with the school.
After an up-and-down start, Coale’s Sooners have won three consecutive games and are tied for second place in the Big 12 a season after going just 8-22 overall and 4-14 in the conference.
Coale spoke with The Oklahoman about the difference between last season’s team and this year’s, the development of Taylor Robertson and the Sooners’ defense:
How energized is this team after winning three consecutive games?
I think they’re in a really good place. It’s amazing the extra pep that a couple of wins will put in your step. Their focus on the work continues to be as its been for quite some time now — very workmanlike, very methodical. I don’t feel like their approach has changed at all. They have a little bit more energy maybe.
Last season this team struggled when Ana Llanusa was hurt. Llanusa has missed the last two games and still this team knocked off Iowa State and West Virginia. What’s the difference this time around?
Everybody has a year’s worth of experience. They were just a bunch of freshmen last year trying to figure things out. It’s amazing what the accumulation of time can do. Everybody’s starting to understand their individual strengths and how to piece them together. … There’s just a very good vibe between them right now.
How has Taylor Robertson’s game evolved this season beyond just her shooting?
I would start with her communication. She’s talking more, certainly during play but also at timeouts and dead balls. She’s so much more comfortable. She’s got a great eye for the game and a high IQ. We need — her teammates need — her information. But also her fitness level, her ability to continue to move and change her speed and work to get open while also being an improved defender — she couldn’t do all that last year because her fitness level wouldn’t allow for it. Her shot’s quicker. She’s very crafty. That was true last year, but she’s so much more confident in it.
At West Virginia, your team held the Mountaineers to just 23.7 percent from the floor. How far has this team come defensively?
That and rebounding have been the two biggest areas of improvement. The blocking out is just habitual now and it’s making a difference. We had 16 offensive boards at West Virginia so it’s not just blocking out, it’s offensive crashing
Three things to know
• The Sooners are coming off one of the best defensive performances in conference history. West Virginia shot just 23.7 percent from the floor Wednesday night and the Mountaineers were just 1 of 13 from behind the 3-point line with no players scoring in double figures.
• Two TCU assistants played at OU. Britney Brown started 59 games from 2003-07 while Abi Olajuwon played from 2006-10, playing key roles on the 2009 and 2010 Final Four teams.
• The Sooners are 22-8 alltime vs. TCU including 14-1 in Norman. The Horned Frogs’ only win in Lloyd Noble Center came last season. TCU has won four in a row against the Sooners.
and getting in position to get rebounds as well. Defensively, it’s all about rotation and having confidence and trust in the system, that if I send the ball where it’s supposed to go that my teammates are going to be where they’re supposed to be and collectively we can guard this.
TCU at Oklahoma
When: 3 p.m. Sunday Where: Lloyd Noble Center, Norman TV: FSOK (Cox 37) Radio: KOKC 1520 AM, KREF 99.3 FM/1400 AM
Heading into OU’s home game against TCU, Coale has 499 career wins.
Coale, who was inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, would become the first Sooners basketball coach — in either men’s or women’s — to reach the 500-win mark with the school.
After an up-and-down start, Coale’s Sooners have won three consecutive games and are tied for second place in the Big 12 a season after going just 8-22 overall and 4-14 in the conference.
Coale spoke with The Oklahoman about the difference between last season’s team and this year’s, the development of Taylor Robertson and the Sooners’ defense:
How energized is this team after winning three consecutive games?
I think they’re in a really good place. It’s amazing the extra pep that a couple of wins will put in your step. Their focus on the work continues to be as its been for quite some time now — very workmanlike, very methodical. I don’t feel like their approach has changed at all. They have a little bit more energy maybe.
Last season this team struggled when Ana Llanusa was hurt. Llanusa has missed the last two games and still this team knocked off Iowa State and West Virginia. What’s the difference this time around?
Everybody has a year’s worth of experience. They were just a bunch of freshmen last year trying to figure things out. It’s amazing what the accumulation of time can do. Everybody’s starting to understand their individual strengths and how to piece them together. … There’s just a very good vibe between them right now.
How has Taylor Robertson’s game evolved this season beyond just her shooting?
I would start with her communication. She’s talking more, certainly during play but also at timeouts and dead balls. She’s so much more comfortable. She’s got a great eye for the game and a high IQ. We need — her teammates need — her information. But also her fitness level, her ability to continue to move and change her speed and work to get open while also being an improved defender — she couldn’t do all that last year because her fitness level wouldn’t allow for it. Her shot’s quicker. She’s very crafty. That was true last year, but she’s so much more confident in it.
At West Virginia, your team held the Mountaineers to just 23.7 percent from the floor. How far has this team come defensively?
That and rebounding have been the two biggest areas of improvement. The blocking out is just habitual now and it’s making a difference. We had 16 offensive boards at West Virginia so it’s not just blocking out, it’s offensive crashing
Three things to know
• The Sooners are coming off one of the best defensive performances in conference history. West Virginia shot just 23.7 percent from the floor Wednesday night and the Mountaineers were just 1 of 13 from behind the 3-point line with no players scoring in double figures.
• Two TCU assistants played at OU. Britney Brown started 59 games from 2003-07 while Abi Olajuwon played from 2006-10, playing key roles on the 2009 and 2010 Final Four teams.
• The Sooners are 22-8 alltime vs. TCU including 14-1 in Norman. The Horned Frogs’ only win in Lloyd Noble Center came last season. TCU has won four in a row against the Sooners.
and getting in position to get rebounds as well. Defensively, it’s all about rotation and having confidence and trust in the system, that if I send the ball where it’s supposed to go that my teammates are going to be where they’re supposed to be and collectively we can guard this.
TCU at Oklahoma
When: 3 p.m. Sunday Where: Lloyd Noble Center, Norman TV: FSOK (Cox 37) Radio: KOKC 1520 AM, KREF 99.3 FM/1400 AM