Last February, the Sooners watched an unlucky shot roll off the rim in the final seconds of an 82-81 loss.

And this Thursday, the Sooners are scheduled for a redemption match against a well-balanced Baylor team. Not only does OU have a chance to redeem itself, but the team also has a chance end Baylor’s 19-game win streak.

And here are the top three keys to getting that win.

First, the Sooners are going to have to limit Baylor All-American Brittney Griner.

Griner is averaging just under 23 points this season and continues to be the star in Mulkey’s line-up. On defense, Griner has been just as threatening with over 100 blocks already this season. But if the Sooners want to stay up with the No. 1 team in the country, Griner won’t be the only Bear the Sooners will need to contain.

Second, the Sooners are going to need to disrupt Odyssey Sims.

The sophomore guard capped off her season-high night with the game-winning lay-up the last time Baylor came to town. Sims ended that night going 14-for-19, with a 9-for-12 performance from 3-point range.

Sims is continuing to show her resilience for the Bears this season, averaging over 31 minutes with a .434 average from the 3-point line.

Together Sims and Griner make up a lot of the Baylor offense, but solid defense while not allowing points on the breakaway can limit both of these scoring threats.

Finally, Oklahoma will need help from its underclassmen.

This year, OU has relied on sophomore guard Aaryn Ellenberg, who currently leads the team with an 18.2 average. But Ellenberg will be a likely target for the Bears’ defense after seeing just what the Las Vegas native brought to the table last year.

So it will be up to freshmen newcomers like Sharane Campbell, DaShawn Harden and Kaylon Williams to put the Bear defense on edge.

Last year, the Sooners stayed the course and almost upset Kim Mulkey and Company in Norman.

This week, the Sooners have a chance to knock off the nation’s No. 1 team.

Tobi Neidy is a public relations senior.