BYU Women Get Big 12 Preview In Home Game Against No. 16 Oklahoma
Nov 14, 2022, 11:07 PM | Updated: 11:08 pm
BYU women's basketball looks for their first win and they'll try to get it against No. 16 Oklahoma. (Christi Norris/BYU Photo)
(Christi Norris/BYU Photo)
PROVO, Utah – The BYU women’s basketball team will look to end a two-game losing streak. They’ll have to do it against a future Big 12 foe, the Oklahoma Sooners.
BYU (0-2) hosts No. 16 Oklahoma (2-0) at the Marriott Center (3 p.m., BYUtv.org) in a Big 12 preview.
battling 🏀 pic.twitter.com/oHPwIThQlE
— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) November 12, 2022
The Sooners won’t be a member of the Big 12 for long with BYU as the Sooners are scheduled to leave for the SEC on July 1, 2025. But for two years, beginning on July 1, 2023, BYU will be league foes with the Sooners.
That’s down the road. For the here and now, BYU is just looking to get the first win of the Amber Whiting era. It would be quite an upset to take down an Oklahoma team that comes into the game third nationally in scoring offense averaging 101 points.
An early glimpse at life in the Big 12
But it’s an early taste of what life will be like in the Big 12 beginning next year. The Sooners are among four Big 12 teams currently ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. Another three teams in the Big 12 next year are receiving votes.
As for BYU, it’s a feeling-out process for a young team that lost five key players from last year’s 26-3 team. One of those three losses was against the same Sooners squad in an overtime setback in Norman.
“We’re learning right now,” said BYU women’s basketball head coach Amber Whiting after Saturday’s 69-60 home loss to Montana State. “We need to be patient with ourselves and we will get better. Moving forward, we will need more out of everybody.”
Last year it was a thrilling overtime win to put the Sooners back on the map.
Tomorrow, in a rematch vs. BYU…𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬.#Sooners x #ONE pic.twitter.com/mWk31ShRUB
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) November 14, 2022
Nani Falatea leads the way for BYU Women’s Basketball
BYU has three starters averaging double figures in scoring, led by Salt Lake City native Nani Falatea. In only her second season with the program, the 5-foot-9 Falatea has emerged as one of the key players. She’s averaging 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and five assists through the first two games.
Senior Lauren Gustin continues to be a walking double-double for BYU as she averages 12 points and 12.5 rebounds.
The offensive end is OK at the moment. Where BYU’s issues reside is on the defensive end. BYU is currently 347th nationally in three-point field goal defense. Teams are knocking down 48.6% of their attempts from three-point range against BYU.
That’s not good as BYU prepares for an Oklahoma team that is 15th in the country in three-point percentage, hitting 44.2% of their shots from distance through two games.
BYU vs. No. 16 Oklahoma
Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Tip: 3 p.m. (MT)
Stream: BYUtv.org
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
