PREVIEW: Kentucky WBB set for Top 15 matchup with Oklahoma on the road

Kentucky has its toughest test of the season to date as the Cats take on No. 13 Oklahoma (16-4, 4-4 SEC) in Norman.

Get to know the Sooners before the game.

Bio Blast

Oklahoma comes into this game after falling to No. 7 LSU 107-100 in Baton Rouge. The Tigers were up big, even getting out to a 24-point lead (72-48) with just over four minutes to go in the third quarter. Oklahoma cut the deficit all the way down to one after falling just short in the end.

Not only did they prove that they can fight through adversity and hang with the best of the best, but the Sooners will also be hungry to get a bounce back win over Kentucky on their home court.

Before the season began, Oklahoma was projected to finish fourth in the SEC, and even sitting at .500 in conference play, they can still compete for a double bye in the SEC Tournament. Their four losses in conference play come to No. 5 Texas, and then Mississippi State, No. 2 South Carolina and LSU on the road.

Scouting Report

Oklahoma’s identity lies within their high-octane offense. As we saw against LSU, they can put up points in a hurry. They have the third-best scoring offense in the SEC (87.2 PPG), sitting just behind No. 18 Tennessee (91.8 PPG) and LSU (88.7 PPG).

Their leading scorer and best player overall is junior Raegan Beers, a 6-foot-4 center transfer from Oregon State. Beers was projected First Team All-SEC in the preseason, and it’s clear why that’s the case. She’s putting up 16.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. After shooting just 12.5% from three-point range her freshman year and 0% last year, Beers now makes 42.9% of her three-point attempts.

Payton Verhulst has stepped up in her senior season at Oklahoma, putting up 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. She can also knock it down from beyond the arc, shooting 35.9% from three-point range.

Projected Kentucky Starters

#3 – Georgia Amoore

5-FOOT-6 – GUARD – GRADUATE STUDENT

18.2 PPG – 7.5 APG – 2.5 RPG

#7 – Teonni Key

6-FOOT-4 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

11.9 PPG – 8.4 RPG – 1.9 BPG

#10 – Dazia Lawrence

5-FOOT-8 – GUARD – REDSHIRT SENIOR

13.2 PPG – 2.2 APG – 2.1 RPG

#13 – Clara Strack

6-FOOT-5 – CENTER – SOPHOMORE

15.4 PPG – 9.8 RPG – 3.0 APG

#32 – Amelia Hassett

6-FOOT-3 – FORWARD – JUNIOR

10.7 PPG – 9.0 RPG – 2.1 APG

Initial Availability Report

Starting this season in conference play, SEC teams are required to release an availability report, listing players and their injury statuses for their upcoming game.

Here is the initial report for Kentucky-Oklahoma:

The final availability report will be available closer to game time.

**Note: Kentucky’s Dominika Paurová is not listed as “Out” because she is completely exempt from the season due to an ACL tear she suffered in the offseason. Jordan Obi, who also suffered a lower leg injury in the summer, may return to the hardwood this season, hence why her name appears on the availability report.**

How to Watch/Listen

Place	Tipoff	TV	Radio	Live Stats
Lloyd Noble Center (Norman, OK)	4 p.m. ET	SEC Network (Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck)	630 WLAP, 790 WKRD (Darren Headrick)	StatBroadcast

Follow Along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG

Unable to watch the game? Don’t worry — we’ll be providing real-time updates throughout to keep you informed on the action. Follow along with KSR’s LIVE BLOG, which will get rolling on the website an hour before the game starts.

Join The Discussion on KSBoard

Want to interact with the KSR crew during tonight’s game? Consider joining the conversation on KSBoard, where we’ll be sharing live updates while also answering questions and providing real-time analysis (and probably complaining about the officiating).