As Oklahoma sits on the cusp of a feat not accomplished in Norman for over a decade, coach Jennie Baranczyk can’t help but ponder a bigger test the program faces.
A Big 12 title hasn’t made its way to Norman since 2009, nearly the same amount of time since the Sooners have seen Lloyd Noble Center consistently filled.
Baranczyk hopes the buzz of excitement once surrounding the program will return to Norman when No. 13 Oklahoma’s (22-4, 12-3 Big 12) path to the long sought out championship faces its biggest test in No. 19 Texas (21-7, 12-3) at 1 p.m. Saturday in Norman.
“We as a state (and) we as a community have to decide what we want for women’s basketball here,” Baranczyk said. “If you look at the top teams in the country and you look at (their) attendance … We should have no less than 8-10,000 people here.”
Claiming the attendance title thus far in the NCAA is OU’s soon to be in-conference foe South Carolina, who’s 27-0 and averages a home crowd of 12,898, triple that of the Lloyd Noble Center. Despite honing the top overall record in the Big 12, OU’s average attendance of 4,066 ranks just 5th in the conference. The Sooner faithful who regularly attend prove impactful, as OU’s home record of 12-1 trumps its 8-3 record in road contests.
OU’s highest attended home game this season came when Oklahoma State traveled to Norman on Jan. 21. The 9,580 fans packing the LNC not only manufactured the hostile environment needed to claim a 97-93 victory over the Pokes, but marked the largest home crowd since 2013.
“We want to be the best for this community that we possibly can (be),” Baranczyk said, “But we need everybody.”
Baranczyk and the Sooners are relying on the stakes of the matchup to draw many to the LNC come Saturday. OU and Texas sit in a tie for first place in the Big 12 and are two games ahead of the third place Cowgirls.
The Sooners have two games remaining after the Longhorns, facing Kansas State in Norman and Oklahoma State in Stillwater. A potential victory Saturday would give the Sooners sole possession of first in the Big 12 and full control of their path moving forward.
A victory Saturday is far from certain, as the Longhorns outlasted the Sooners 78-58 in their first matchup on Jan. 25 in Austin. OU’s 58 points is the lowest it’s mustered all season, with the second lowest coming from a 69-point outing in a win over Mississippi on Dec. 4.
Furthermore, the biggest boost OU may receive from an attendance perspective revolves around the given intensity the OU-Texas rivalry sparks.
“It’s really fun to get to go out there and experience it,” redshirt senior Ana Llanusa said of the rivalry. “The atmosphere changes when you’re playing those games like OSU or Texas.”
OU is also hoping to drive fan engagement by gifting the first 1,000 fans rally towels and the first 500 fans banners celebrating the career of senior forward Madi Williams.
𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐍𝐂‼️We've got 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ OU rally towels ready for Saturday's game. First come, first serve ⚪#Sooners x https://t.co/tjmqesZtGR pic.twitter.com/nZRlT2CSOf
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) February 22, 2023
𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐭. 𝟐The first 500 fans at Saturday's game get this limited edition @madi_wms banner! #Sooners x #ONE pic.twitter.com/sfsX6Ylkep
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_WBBall) February 21, 2023
OU’s opportunity to take its biggest step towards the Big 12 title awaits alongside a chance for Baranczyk to establish a new standard for OU basketball’s culture.
“We’re really gonna know what people think of women’s basketball in this state on Saturday afternoon,” Baranczyk said.
Sooners ‘in the details’ amidst win streak
As OU nears the finale of its best season in quite some time, Baranczyk looks back on how the Sooners got here.
OU faced a couple minor bumps en route to a 16-2 record through its first 18 games. The Sooners dropped their next two on the road against Texas and Iowa State on Jan. 25 and Jan. 28, before beginning their current six-game win streak.
“I feel like we’ve just been inching (forward) the whole time,” Baranczyk said. “It doesn’t feel like we’re on this magical run right now. (I) don’t even think about how many games we’ve won or where we lost last … I don’t ever process that.”
The streak includes a pair of impressive wins on the road against Baylor and Kansas on Feb. 7 and Feb. 19, respectively. The Sooners closed both contests strongly, trailing the Bears by 12 with under five minutes to play before outscoring them 35-17 the remainder of regulation and overtime. Additionally, OU held the Jayhawks scoreless for the last 3:12 to secure the victory in Lawrence on Sunday.
Baranczyk noted the amping up of intensity levels during recent practices as well as her squad’s depth and leadership as factors for the winning streak.
“We’re in the details right now,” Baranczyk said. “We’re in the moment right now, we’re not getting ahead of ourselves, we’re not chasing something, we’re literally focusing on getting better. We’ve taken really hard looks in the mirror … to learn how to get better, to be able to face the things that you’re really good at and … The things you gotta work on.
“We’ve fallen in love with the effort.”
The tail end of the season is especially meaningful to OU’s seniors, particularly the trio of super seniors Madi Williams, Ana Llanusa and Taylor Robertson. The group has played nearly 400 games combined while repping the crimson and cream, but sees their remaining opportunity winding down.
“(I’m) just soaking in every moment,” Llanusa said. “I’ve had a lot that I’ve (gotten) to experience here. And so far, right now, its been the best that I’ve experienced over my years. So … just letting go and playing free and making sure that we all as a team leave everything we have on the court every time we go out there.”
This story was edited by Colton Sulley.
