friday, march 14, 2014

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SOONERS CHOICE 2014 Do you have a favorite hangout in or around Norman? A favorite professor? A favorite university urban legend? Vote now for the 2014 Sooners’ Choice! oudaily.com/soonerschoice The top choices will be in the special edition of ESCAPE on April 17th! Hurry! Voting ends March 23rd! WWW.OUDAILY.COM FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014 e University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916 2013 PACEMAKER FINALIST Opinion: Stay safe this spring break, Sooners! (Page 3) Sports: Catching up with coach Cole (Page 4) L&A: St. Vincent is coming to Tulsa (Online) VOL. 99, NO. 120 © 2014 OU Publications Board FREE — Additional copies 25¢ WEATHER CONTACT US Partly cloudy skies. High 71F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. INDEX Campus ...................... 2 Classifieds ................ 3 Life&Arts .................. 2 Opinion ..................... 3 Sports ........................ 4 @OUDaily theoklahomadaily OUDaily SPRING BREAK ›››› Sooner Sampler: Where are you going for spring break this year? Destination: San Francisco, Calif. to visit family and friends “I used to live near there and living in Norman has really made me miss the beach.” LENA WILSON, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FRESHMAN Destination: Panama City Beach, Fla. and Austin, Texas “Round Up is an event held by UT Austin that hosts a bunch of bands and events for the weekend.” VIVIAN SALAMANCA, SPANISH AND PUBLIC RELATIONS SOPHOMORE Destination: Cancun, Mexico with a friend who lives in her dorm hall “We’re probably going to spend most of our trip on the beach, but we also might go zip lining ...” MACKENZIE BEARDEN, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FRESHMAN EMMA SULLIVAN Campus Reporter S everal of OU’s religious student organizations will be taking group trips to places across the U.S. over spring break to serve other communities and take time for self-improvement. PARADIGM: COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. The Baptist Student Union on campus, named Paradigm, will take about 350 students from OU on a retreat to Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs, Colo., for a week, said Annahlyse Meyer, president of the Baptist Student Union and public relations senior. “It’s a week that we get together in the mountains, away from the stresses of life, and learn about God,” Meyer said. OU students will join Oklahoma State University’s and several other smaller Oklahoma universities’ students to leave for Colorado on Saturday night on a bus that will drive straight through to the next morning, Meyer said. Students will participate in two to three sessions a day, listening to speakers, as well as using free time to reflect on what they are learning. They will also spend time outdoors hiking and skiing in the mountains, Meyer said. “It’s one of the most rejuvenating weeks of the year for me,” Meyer said. STUDENT TODAY LEADERS FOREVER: MULTI-STOP TRIP TO JACKSONVILLE, FLA. Students Today Leaders Forever will take a bus full of students on a cross-country community service trek for the national Pay it Forward Tour, said sociology senior Heather Kimbley, who is going on the trip. The bus will stop in Little Rock, Ark.; Alexandria, La.; GET OUT OF HERE Religious student groups take to the road for reflection and service ILLUSTRATION BY TAYLOR BOLTON

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Page 1: Friday, March 14, 2014

SOONERSCHOICE 2014

Do you have a favorite hangout in or around Norman? A favorite professor?

A favorite university urban legend?

Vote now for the 2014 Sooners’ Choice!oudaily.com/soonerschoice

The top choices will be in the special edition of ESCAPE on April 17th!

Hurry! Voting ends March 23rd!

W W W . O U D A I L Y . C O M

F R I D A Y , M A R C H 14 , 2 0 14

� e University of Oklahoma’s independent student voice since 1916 2 0 1 3 P A C E M A K E R F I N A L I S T

Opinion: Stay safe this spring break, Sooners! (Page 3)

Sports: Catching up with coach Cole (Page 4)

L&A: St. Vincent is coming to Tulsa (Online)

VOL. 99, NO. 120© 2014 OU Publications BoardFREE — Additional copies 25¢

WEATHER CONTACT US

Partly cloudy skies. High 71F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.

INDEX

C a m p u s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

C l a s s i f i e d s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

L i f e & A r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

O p i n i o n . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

S p o r t s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4@OUDaily theoklahomadaily OUDaily

SPRING BREAK

›››› Sooner Sampler: Where are you going for spring break this year?

Destination: San Francisco, Calif.

to visit family and friends

“I used to live near there and living in Norman has really made me miss the

beach.”LENA WILSON,

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FRESHMAN

Destination: Panama City Beach, Fla. and

Austin, Texas

“Round Up is an event held by UT Austin

that hosts a bunch of bands and events for

the weekend.”VIVIAN SALAMANCA,

SPANISH AND PUBLIC RELATIONS SOPHOMORE

Destination: Cancun, Mexico with a friend

who lives in her dorm hall

“We’re probably going to spend most

of our trip on the beach, but we also

might go zip lining ...”MACKENZIE BEARDEN,

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE FRESHMAN

EMMA SULLIVANCampus Reporter

Several of OU’s religious student organizations will be taking group trips to places across the U.S. over spring break to serve other communities and take

time for self-improvement.

PARADIGM: COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.

The Baptist Student Union on campus, named Paradigm, will take about 350 students from OU on a retreat to Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs, Colo., for a week, said Annahlyse Meyer, president of the Baptist Student Union and public relations senior.

“It’s a week that we get together in the mountains, away from the stresses of life, and learn about God,” Meyer said.

OU students will join Oklahoma State University’s and several other smaller Oklahoma universities’ students to leave for Colorado on Saturday night on a bus that will drive straight through to the next morning, Meyer said.

Students will participate in two to three sessions a day, listening to speakers, as well as using free time to reflect on what they are learning. They will also spend time outdoors hiking and skiing in the mountains, Meyer said.

“It’s one of the most rejuvenating weeks of the year for me,” Meyer said.

STUDENT TODAY LEADERS FOREVER: MULTI-STOP TRIP TO JACKSONVILLE, FLA.Students Today Leaders Forever will take a bus full of

students on a cross-country community service trek for the national Pay it Forward Tour, said sociology senior Heather Kimbley, who is going on the trip.

The bus will stop in Little Rock, Ark.; Alexandria, La.;

GET OUT OF HERE

Religious student groups take to the road for reflection and service

ILLUSTRATION BY TAYLOR BOLTON

Page 2: Friday, March 14, 2014

ADAM BURNETTCampus Reporter

The Oklahoma Mesonet, which gathers information from across the state to forecast weather, is turning 20 this year.

With 20 years of weather informa-tion, Mesonet staff members are work-ing on determining climate patterns to more accurately measure Oklahoma’s climate, Oklahoma Mesonet manager Chris Fiebrich said.

Staff members are also working to place new equipment on the weather towers across the state, Fiebrich said.

The group has a test and verify ap-proach when using new equipment, which means that any equipment they buy is tested in the lab before they use it in the field, said Brad Illston, a research assistant at Mesonet.

To celebrate its 20th anniversary,

Mesonet will hold an event on Nov. 1 at the National Weather Center during the National Weather Festival, Fiebrich said.

One of the most important services Mesonet provides is an infrastructure system of weather towers, Fiebrich said.

Mesonet has 120 weather towers placed across the state. These stations are outfitted with hardware to measure weather conditions, such as soil con-ditions, wind speed and direction, hu-midity, barometric pressure and sev-eral other factors for weather, Fiebrich said.

“With this system, Oklahoma is the most looked at piece of land in the world,” Illston said.

These towers are run by solar power and are self-sufficient. There are also 35 repeater towers across the state, which serve to carry the weather information back to the Oklahoma Mesonet head-quarters in Norman.

“This is the headquarters of all of it,”

Fiebrich said.The meteorologists at Mesonet work

with farmers, ranchers and emergen-cy services across the state to forecast weather accurately. They have part-nered with Oklahoma State University to give ranchers and farmers informa-tion about planting crops.

“This lets farmers make very de-tailed decisions about when to plant or spray pesticides,” Fiebrich said.

Meteorology sophomore Monique Sellers works at Mesonet and watches weather data come in from across the state.

“The experience and getting to see all the different aspects of weather coming in has been amazing,” Sellers said.

Of the 30 employees at the Mesonet, around 15 started as student workers, Fiebrich said.

Adam [email protected]

LIFE&ARTSTony Beaulieu, life & arts editorLuke Reynolds, assistant editor

[email protected] • phone: 405-325-3666oudaily.com/life&arts • Twitter: @OUDailyArts

OUDaily.com ››Check out our spring break tips before you embark on a wild journey.

defend your lifeTONY RAGLE/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

OUPD offers a self-defense class upon request to prepare students to defend themselves against assailants they might meet as they travel for spring break. The class is available anytime but OUPD would like people to sign up as soon as possible.

this week OU provides different opportunities to keep students safe with important safety tips, including some hands-on self defense training from OU Police Department officers.

OUPD offers self-defense classes for students to learn basic protection techniques. Many students plan to travel for spring break vacation, and self-defense skills can help make it a safe trip.

“It empowers our participants,” said OUPD Major Bruce Chan. Having knowledge of self-defense, no matter how basic, could help in a potentially dangerous situation.

Situations can arise when communication goes astray, Chan said. This can happen when dealing with strangers, but knowing some self-defense can provide students with the ability to escape physical confrontation.

“We try to focus on effective countermeasures to the cur-rent threat,” Sergeant Tim Tucker said. Although some of the techniques are based on martial arts, the program is focused on escaping grabs, Tucker said.

The self-defense classes put on by OUPD have been around since the ‘80s, Chan said. Classes are available all year, but they are busier during the fall and spring

‘‘We try to focus on effective

countermeasures to the current threat,”TIM TUCKER,

OUPD SERGEANT

Paighten Harkins, campus editor Alex Niblett, assistant editor

[email protected] • phone: 405-325-3666oudaily.com • Twitter: @OUDaily

2 • Friday, March 14, 2014

CAMPUS OUDaily.com ›› � e body found on a campus Wednesday has been identi� ed. Read the full story online.

SARAH PITTS • LIFE & ARTS REPORTER

OU takes steps to educate students on how to be safe over spring break

semesters. All the sessions are free for students and are scheduled upon request.

Classes are generally about 10 to 20 people and are filled mostly by young women wanting to learn more about pro-tecting themselves. Most classes take place at the Huston Huffman Fitness Center but can be held anywhere around campus that has enough space.

Classes begin with an officer talking about self-defense tactics to the participants and then moves onto hands-on practice. The duration of the class is usually two hours. Chan said this allows enough time to teach participants without taking too much time out of a college student’s busy schedule.

Other programs around campus also work to provide

students with the knowledge to stay safe, such as Safe Break, a program put on by the Panhellenic organization at OU. Safe Break takes place annually, the week before spring break. This year it was held on March 11. It is held in honor of Lisa Weider, OU student and member of the Greek community, who died during spring break 2004.

Safe Break included presentations from the Women’s Outreach Center, ICEdot and Weider’s parents. Safety tips included understanding consent, speaking up when something looks wrong, having a buddy system, designat-ing a driver and always carrying your identification with you.

“My advice for students going on spring break trips with their friends is to just always be aware of what is going on around them at all times,” said microbiology junior and Panhellenic president Anna Royce. “Simply being alert and conscientious will help you make smart, informed de-cisions that will keep you safe.”

Sarah Pitts, [email protected]

Gulfport, Miss.; Montgomery, Ala.; Albany, Ga., and will fi-nally end up joining students from around the country in Jacksonville, Fla., Kimbley said.

“I’ve been twice, and I really enjoy it,” Kimbley said. “It’s not just volunteering. We do team building activities and work on personal development.”

The trip will also take some OU freshmen and interna-tional students and helps them form relationships and feel comfortable with people on campus, Kimbley said.

“It’s great because you’re doing something for other peo-ple, but it’s still a good break and a way to get rid of stress,” Kimbley said.

SOONERS FOR CHRIST: DENVER, COLO.Sooners for Christ will leave Sunday to take a group of

about 13 on the organization’s second four-day trip to Denver, said Colin Dunham, Sooners for Christ president and human relations graduate student.

The group will be partnering with the Center for Student Missions to work with the homeless population in Denver, as well as teach people about homelessness and what it means to live on food stamps or welfare, Dunham said.

“The educational aspect of it helps us bring back the skills we learn to Oklahoma,” said Dunham.

During the trip, students will speak with homeless peo-ple and decide how to best help them help themselves, Dunham said.

“You find sustainable ways of actually helping people,” Dunham said.

Emma Sullivan, [email protected]

METEOROLOGY

TONY RAGLE/THE DAILY

Environmental chambers shown in the picture are used to produce different temperatures and atmospheres within the chamber. Sensors are placed in the chamber and tested to make sure they are relaying correct data in various climate conditions.

Oklahoma Mesonet uses towers to gather forecasts

Weather info device turns 20

SPRING BREAK: Faith to guide travel plansContinued from page 1

MACEY DAVIS/THE DAILY

University College freshman Bailey Farmer starts packing for her spring break trip to Destin, Fla. in her dorm room on Wednesday. Students are traveling all over this break, even to far away desti-nations.

Page 3: Friday, March 14, 2014

1111

www.forbetterlife.org

Eats flies. Dates a pig. Hollywood star. LIVE YOUR DREAMS Pass It On.

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CLASSIFIEDS

PLACE A PAID AD

FREE AD WITH OU.EDU EMAIL ADDRESS

Phone: 405-325-2521E-mail: classifi [email protected]

Fax: 405-325-7517Campus Address: COH 149A

Line Ad ..................................................................................3 days priorPlace line ad by 9:00 a.m. 3 business days prior to publication.

Display Ad ............................................................................3 days priorClassifi ed Display or Classifi ed Card AdPlace your display, classifi ed display or classifi ed card ads by 5:00 p.m. 3 business days prior to publication.

DEADLINES

Anyone with an ou.edu email address can place their ad in the Classified section of The Oklahoma Daily at no cost. Simply email your ad copy to [email protected], along with name, address and phone contact information. Maximum 5 lines and 10-issue run per listing.

HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol

Copyright 2014, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2014

It’s time to put your ideas and tried-and-true methods to work. Rely on experience and mix lessons from the past and present in order to come up with solid plans for the future. Being prepared and determined will help you rise to the top.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- You’ll risk your reputation if you rely on secondhand information. Someone may pass off fabrication as fact just to put you in an awkward position. Get all the details before you speak out.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Community get-togethers and special-interest gatherings are great places to meet new friends. Informal activities and events will enable you to share your enthusiasms with like-minded people.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Don’t let others do the talking for you. A colleague may try to present your ideas as his own. Ensure that you are given the credit you deserve for your accomplishments.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Don’t let stress get you down. Make your home your refuge. Surround yourself with the people and comforts that make you happy. Take time to relax and refl ect.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Strategize how you can make personal improvements. Proper nutrition, regular exercise and plenty of enjoyable activities are all vital to your success and physical and mental health.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You’ll be extremely convincing today. Make sure you don’t harbor any ulterior

motives and that you have thought matters through. You will accomplish a lot if you are a team player.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You may be a little short- tempered. Just because someone has a different viewpoint, it doesn’t mean you can’t get along. To avoid embarrassment, cool down before you say something you’ll regret.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Take a moment to do something you enjoy. Perhaps there is a hobby or new friendship you’d like to pursue. Indulge in something that is motivating and inspirational; you deserve it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Be considerate of others today. Avoid criticizing others and focus on the positive message you want to convey. If you are pushy, you will put a wedge between yourself and someone you care about.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Travel delays and other unforeseen problems will plague you. Don’t get frustrated over circumstances you cannot control. Keep a positive attitude and do your best to overcome setbacks.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- A partnership will face pressure if you encounter a stalemate. If you’re willing to compromise, you will fi nd it easier to reach an agreement.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- You won’t feel too sociable today. Take a closer look at your current situation and establish the steps you need to take to advance. Backtracking may be necessary.

Instructions:Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Previous Solution

Monday- Very EasyTuesday-EasyWednesday- EasyThursday- MediumFriday - Hard

ACROSS 1 Weapon

swung by a gaucho

5 Strictly verboten

10 Tango requirement

13 Lean against

14 Pungent bulb

15 Hold spellbound

16 Frank Sinatra war flick

19 Private eye 20 Fencing

blades 21 Lubricated 22 Escorted 24 Stairmaster

surface 25 Broken to

the saddle 26 “The

Importance of ___ Earnest”

28 That’s partner

30 Creep, crab-style

31 Automaker’s concern, briefly

34 What a clue provides

38 Dodgers great ___ Wee Reese

39 Composer Carmichael

40 In ___ of (rather than)

41 Plum puckered out?

42 Mineral springs

44 None-of-the-above choice

46 Summer beverage

49 Some singing groups

50 Type of flare or power

52 Kernel source

53 Part of a big Thanksgiving Day dinner

56 Kind of list 57 Get ready to

drive, in golf 58 Party platter

preparer 59 Dir. from

Denver to Chicago

60 Molecular components

61 Some works by Keats

DOWN 1 Zulu

language group

2 Double-reeded woodwinds

3 Noon, for many

4 Pigged out 5 Picked

locks? 6 Added to

the pot 7 Quick snack 8 Partners

of aahs 9 Indivisible 10 Syllables

sung while skipping

11 Took her hand in marriage

12 Newspaper piece

15 “Peer Gynt” composer Edvard

17 Road shoulder

18 Wild Man isle 23 Simplicity 24 Arcade foul 26 Spree 27 Pushing

the envelope 28 1/6 fl. oz. 29 Farmer’s tool 30 City

of central China (var.)

31 Wet 32 “The

Tell-Tale Heart” teller

33 Lion’s quarry 35 Separate

wheat from chaff

36 Happy or 11th

37 Quite pleased

41 Prefix for “graphic”

42 Naughty kids

43 Long-term do

44 Wrinkle-resistant synthetic fiber

45 Sao Paulo has one

46 Pelvic bone 47 Apollo 11

lander 48 Upbeat,

in music 49 Thames

gallery 50 Leave text

as is! 51 Lickable

cookie 54 Flight deck

guess 55 Words

that end bachelor-hood

Universal CrosswordEdited by Timothy E. Parker March 14, 2014

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

© 2014 Universal Uclickwww.upuzzles.com

MAJOR GAINS By Luke Cayon3/14

3/13

Our View: Spring break is for fun and relaxation, but remember to be safe and enjoy the break however you see fit.

However you spend your spring break — wheth-er by soaking up the sun on the beach, shredding down a mountain or relaxing at home — we all crave that weeklong break. As the last stretch of freedom for the rest of the semester, most of us see spring break as our final hurrah before finals. Spring break is an incredibly welcomed reprieve after weeks of midterms, projects and stress. We want all of our Sooner family to have a fun spring break and make memories, but we also believe it is important to be safe and smart over the break.

We all know the horror stories of spring break gone wrong. A group of college kids goes to the beach, parties way too hard and bad decisions are made, which lead to alcohol poisoning or worse. Don’t spend your spring break in the hos-pital. Continue to be logical and realistic. Just because you’re on vacation, doesn’t mean com-mon sense should go out the window. A drunken driver crashed into barricades at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, killing two, The Associated Press reported. Don’t be that drunken driver. We know Sooners are smart and know how to have fun; it’s just a matter of balanc-ing safety and enjoyment.

Here are some tips to stay safe and secure, no matter where you go over the break.

• Don’t go out alone at night. There is nothing wrong with sticking to the buddy system.

• Don’t leave valuables, such as electronics and wallets, unattended. With people coming in and out of your hotel room at all hours, it’s better to keep valuables on you or in the room’s safe.

• Never accept drinks you didn’t see prepared or from people you don’t know. Open your own beer, mix your own beverages and don’t create an opportunity for someone to drug your drink.

We aren’t here just to be downers about the pos-sible dangers of spring break. We, just like every other college student, want to let loose and enjoy our spring break. We’ve thought up a few different fun-filled activities to try out in your spring break destination.

• Build a sandcastle! Just because we’re big,

Editorial

is for having fun, being creative, not reckless

Michael WillMus/The Daily

University College freshmen Madi Duncan (top) and Annie Bradshaw (bottom) study from their hammocks Tuesday afternoon by Cate Center. Lounging in a hammock is one of the many activities students can do while on spring break.

grown-up college students, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the activities we loved in our childhoods. Make it a competition to see who can create the most elaborate sandcastle.

• Build a snowman! If you’re going somewhere with snow, take advantage of that fresh powder and build a snow-man or stage an epic snowball fight. Basically, get out and enjoy being alive and free from the stress of school.

• Dance it out. Take some of your friends and go to the pop-

ular club in town. Make up some new moves. Maybe you’ll start a trend and become be the life of the club. Then the next night, make up a differ-ent move and relive the night before.

Finally, we want Sooners to enjoy spring break however they see fit. Not everyone has to go on extravagant vacations or travel with a massive pack of friends to have fun. If you prefer to burrow into a blanket burrito and watch Netflix all week, go for it! There is no wrong way to spend spring break. So don’t feel down if it seems like everyone around you is jetting off to a beach or ski resort. Sometimes downtime at home with family is bet-ter than an expensive, stressful vacation anyway.

Comment on this at oudaily.com

The Our View is the majority opinion of The Daily’s eight-member editorial board

OPINIONFriday, March 14, 2014 • 3

Kaitlyn Underwood, opinion editorRachel Montgomery, assistant editor

[email protected] • phone: 405-325-3666oudaily.com/opinion • Twitter: @OUDailyOpinion

Spring

break

BE SAFE

have fun

make memories your own way

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Page 4: Friday, March 14, 2014

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- BEST INDIAN CUISINE- BEST VEGETARIAN

Julia Nelson, sports editorJoe Mussatto, assistant editor

[email protected] • phone: 405-325-3666oudaily.com/sports • Twitter: @OUDailySports

4 • Friday, March 14, 2014

SPORTSOUDaily.com ››� e Sooner baseball squad hosts Belmont this weekend beginning at 6 p.m. tonight. Check out our preview of the three-game series online.

The Daily sat down with coach Sherri Coale to discuss the team’s season and what lies ahead for the Sooners in postseason play.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Coale talks tournament

Q:A:

I know it’s not over yet, but leading into the postseason, what’s the main thing you’ve taken away from this season so far?

Well we’ve been inconsistent, and we have underachieved, which is something our program hasn’t done. So we have to step back and evaluate and try to figure out what the reasons are for that at all costs.

Q:A:

O n Monday, the bids for the NC AA Tournament are announced. Are you confi-dent that your team will be in?

I don’t know if you could say confident. There’s a group of people, human beings, who make up a committee, so there’s not a formula you can look at and say without hesitation that this is going to happen. Do I think that we’re one of the best 64 teams in the country? Absolutely. Do I think we will end up in the tournament? Yes I do. Will it be close? I think, yeah, it will. While we have done some really good things, our strength of schedule puts us in the top 15 in the country, and we’ve lost five games in the final minute. So if we win those games, it’s five more wins and five less losses. The biggest thing in our favor is that we play in the highest RPI conference in the country, and when you finish in the top five or six in this league, you go to the tournament.

Q:A:

As you know, anything can happen if you make it to the tournament. So, what are your expectations for this team if you make it in?

If you get in, you want to win one game. If you win that one, you want to think about winning one more game. It’s just a step-by-step process.

Q:A:

When the offseason finally does arrive, what is one thing you want to improve on before next season?

There are lots of things, but they all hinge on the consistent axis of mental tough-ness... I think that we can orchestrate an en-vironment that will encourage that growth, and you know you can go back to so many things throughout the course of the year and trace them back to mental toughness — whether it’s loss of concentration or succumbing to pressure. There are lots of things that correlate with that.

Q:A:

You’ve had players come and go every year, that’s just how college athletics work. Is it going to be harder to say goodbye to this group of se-niors compared to groups in the past?

It’s always hard to say goodbye to a group of seniors. It doesn’t matter if they’ve played 40 minutes a game a piece or their entire career or if they’ve been a supporting walk-on off the bench. It’s about kids who give themselves entirely to the program. When they’ve given themselves for four years, there’s a pain that’s associated with them leaving. I think it’s always connected to the investment. It’s hard for them to leave, and it’s hard for you to let them go.

sat down with coach Sherri Coale to discuss the team’s

As you know, anything can happen if you make it to the tournament. So, what are your

If you get in, you want to win one game. If you win that one, you want to think about

When the offseason finally does arrive, what is one thing you want to improve on before

There are lots of things, but they all hinge

vironment that will encourage that growth, and you know you can go back to so many things throughout the course of the year and trace them back to mental toughness — whether it’s loss of concentration or succumbing to pressure. There are lots of

You’ve had players come and go every year, that’s just how college athletics work. Is it going to be harder to say goodbye to this group of se-

It’s always hard to say goodbye to a group of seniors. It doesn’t matter if they’ve played 40 minutes a game a piece or their entire career or if they’ve been a supporting walk-on off the bench. It’s about kids who give themselves entirely to the program. When they’ve given themselves for four years, there’s a pain that’s associated with them leaving. I think it’s always connected to the investment. It’s hard for them to leave, and

MEN’S BASKETBALL

OU hoops bashed by Bears in Big 12 tourney

RYAN GERBOSIMen’s Basketball Beat Reporter

Oklahoma fell flat early in Kansas City despite every-thing it did to earn the No. 2 seed.

OU lost to Baylor 78-73 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament, knocking the Sooners out of the confer-ence championship race.

Coach Lon Kruger’s squad had trouble getting anything going from the jump.

Baylor started the game on a 10-0 run in which OU could get just two rebounds while missing five shots.

For the first 10 minutes, Oklahoma could not find its way in the paint. At the 9:45 mark, Baylor took a 14-6 lead on the boards, a reason they lead 22-14 on the scoreboard.

In the final five minutes of the half, Baylor extended

its lead, doubling up the Sooners 12-6 to bring the score to 47-31 at the half.

But OU received some energy in the middle of the second half from Cameron Clark. The senior forward made three straight field goals to jolt his teammates, including a massive dunk with 14:32 left in the game.

Clark’s shots started a 13-1 Oklahoma run that brought OU back within nine points of Baylor, trailing the Bears 56-47 with 10:30 to play.

The teams battled back and forth for a while, trading buckets without the margin getting any smaller than 11 for over five minutes.

The Sooners finally got the Baylor lead down to 10 after a Clark three with five min-utes on the clock. On the next possession, Buddy Hield put back a missed three that was called goaltending by Isaiah Austin to get within eight for the first time in the second

half.After trading two points

each, Hield hit just his sec-ond three of the night to make it a five-point game. Hield hit another with 1:30 to play to bring it to four.

B u t w h e n the Sooners n e e d e d t h e shots to fall, they didn’t.

M i s s e d t h r e e s b y J o r d a n Woodard and Clark forced Oklahoma to foul, allowing

Baylor to put the game away.OU did make it a three-

point game after five quick points from Woodard, but it was too late.

Austin gave OU problems all night. The 7-foot-1 Baylor big man was a massive mis-match for the Sooners, allow-ing Austin to take advantage of the smaller Ryan Spangler,

Clark and others down low. OU typically is mismatched down low, but the effort it put out against Baylor’s bigs may cause some con-cern for Kruger in the NCAA tournament.

Austin finished with 18 points, five rebounds and five blocks against Oklahoma.

OU’s scorers struggled just as much as the bigs. Hield had 15 points on 6-15 shoot-ing, but had only seven in the first 35 minutes of play. Isaiah Cousins had only 6 points on 2-7 shooting.

Clark was Oklahoma’s only hope until the last five min-utes, finishing with 19 points.

The NCAA selection com-mittee will determine the Sooners’ next opponent. The 68-team field for the NCAA tournament wil l be an-nounced Sunday.

Ryan [email protected]

CHARLIE RIEDEL/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Baylor’s Cory Jefferson gets past Oklahoma’s Ryan Spangler to dunk the ball during the first half of a quarterfinal matchup in the Big 12 men’s tournament on Thursday in Kansas City, Mo.

BRETT COPPENBARGER • WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BEAT REPORTER

Career by the numbers:

14 Straight NCAA Tournament

appearances

10 Conference championships

4 Big 12 Coach of the Year awards

COACH PROFILE: Sherri Coale • 18th season

Sooners lose in quarterfinal game

CAMERONCLARK

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