The Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Players of the Week prepare for a clash Wednesday night at Lloyd Noble Center.
OU freshman guard Whitney Hand, named Big 12 Freshman of the Week, and Iowa State sophomore guard Heather Ezell, named Big 12 Player of the Week, take to the court Wednesday night as No. 2 OU hopes to keep their Big 12 winning streak alive against the ladies of No. 16 Iowa State.
Ezell is a sophomore guard on a senior-heavy line up for Iowa State and is the only Cyclone to have started every game this season.
She excels from the 3-point line, shooting more than 40 percent and knocking down more than 60 3-pointers this season.
But the Sooners must be weary of Ezell’s other attributes as well. She makes use of her time at the line, hitting 85 percent of her free throws this season.
While averaging 12.6 points per game, she also makes the time to dish and pick up 3 assists per game.
Ezell may be difficult to guard considering her versatility. She also grabs three rebounds per game and has a solid assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Cyclones have three players averaging at least 9 points per game, but Ezell should be the main focus as she is the only starter who has scored over 10 per game.
Ezell is also coming off a big game against No. 8 Texas A&M with 18 points and 3.5 assists.
Lloyd Noble will not be an easy place for Iowa State to pick up a road win. If Ezell can post high numbers and break down the Sooner rhythm, the game will be tight until the end.
For OU to have success against the Cyclones, Hand needs to be a big part of the equation.
The freshman guard is averaging 10.1 points per game and shoots 43 percent from 3-point range.
In the Sooners’ last game against OSU, Hand put up 12 points and brought down seven rebounds.
Against Texas A&M, Hand’s defense is what head coach Sherri Coale called “the glove” in her efforts to get a hand in the face of the Aggies.
In the conference play, Hand has averaged more minutes (31.3) than any player, including All-American senior center Courtney Paris.
Against a top team like Iowa State, who has only dropped two games to Baylor and Kansas State in the Big 12, OU will need Hand to provide valuable minutes.
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