Women's Basketball Notebook - Tulsa World (1-12-2007)

[ORUTerry]

Women's Notebook:

By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer

1/12/2007

Attendance figures: For the seventh consecutive year, the Big 12 Conference has led the NCAA in women's basketball attendance.

The Big 12 drew 971,011 last season, an average of 4,980.

Texas Tech led the way with 167,081 fans. Oklahoma was fourth with 99,188, including a sellout crowd of 12,112 in its game with Baylor.

In fact, the three OU-Baylor contests drew 32,488 fans, more than either Colorado or Oklahoma State last season.

Double duty: Entering Oklahoma, freshman Jenna Plumley was well-known for her 3-point shooting as a standout at Frontier High School.

The 5-foot-5 point guard is already earning a reputation with the Sooners for her timely 3-pointers, but there's something else she would like fans to realize.

"One thing I was known for in high school in addition to my shooting was my passing," Plumley said. "I would look to make a pass before I even looked to score. But I had to be able to do both in high school. But here I would like to be known as a great passer."

Riley dishes for OSU: Freshman point guard Andrea Riley is averaging seven assists in conference play.

Texas loses Arriaran: The injury bug has bitten Jody Conradt's team again.

For the second consecutive year, the Longhorns have lost one of the 'magnificent seven' from their 2004-05 recruiting class. Sophomore guard Erika Arriaran suffered a tear to her anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in Texas' 64-61 upset of No. 10 Purdue on Sunday. She will undergo surgery soon and will miss the remainder of the season. Last year, it was Sapulpa native Earnesia Williams who suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Reversal of fortunes: Last year was a struggle for first-year Big 12 coaches Kathy McConnell-Miller and Kurt Budke. McConnell-Miller's Colorado team picked up its first conference win in its third league game last year and finished with only three. Already this year, the Buffaloes are off to a 2-0 start. Budke's Cowgirls picked up their first league win Wednesday, snapping a 25-game conference losing streak.

Sneaker fetish: Oklahoma senior Leah Rush admits to having roughly 80 pairs of tennis shoes in Norman and at her parents' house in Amarillo.

"It didn't start as a collection and I really don't think of it as that because I wear most of them," she said. "I don't know how I got started. I just like shoes. When I see a pair I like, I just buy them. And yes, I wear them. I don't buy anything and just let it sit there.

"I have kind of big feet and I can't buy a ton of dress shoes because they are hard to find and aren't all that comfortable."

Happy at home: Former Edison standout Chanel Johnson is happy to be back home in Tulsa, even if it means sitting out a year due to transfer rules.

Johnson could help the Tulsa women's basketball team immediately but is willing to bide her time.

"It's good to be back," she said. "I will have two years of eligibility to play once I sit out my transfer. I'll spend my time this year working on skills and getting better."

Secret weapon: ORU senior Sarah Davidson may be the best kept secret in the Mid-Continent Conference.

The Australia native is shooting 48 percent (12-of-26) from 3-point range, but she hasn't cracked the league leaders because she hasn't had enough shots.

Hampered by bad knees since she arrived ORU, Davidson can't play more than a few minutes a game.