Oral Roberts at Tulsa
1 p.m., Sunday, Reynolds Center
The University of Tulsa women will host crosstown rival Oral Roberts at 1 p.m. Sunday in the next installment of the annual Mayor’s Cup contest.
“Mayor’s Cup, it’s always special, for us and the University of Tulsa, and just this game, it’s a crosstown rivalry and you get up,” said second-year coach Angie Nelp on the TU radio broadcast following the Arkansas game.
ORU (0-4), meanwhile, enters the Reynolds Center still winless on the season, including losses to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
The Golden Eagles are averaging 77.8 points per game. ORU has four players averaging over 10 points a game, led by Hannah Cooper, who has been scoring 21.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per night, while Tirzah Moore averages a double-double, with 13.3 points and 11.8 rebounds.
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As for the Mayor’s Cup, ORU leads the all-time series between the teams 31-11, but Tulsa has won the last three meetings.
Three storylines
Arrow pointing up: After scoring 21 against Arkansas, Temira Poindexter has increased her point total every game this season. After getting 16 in the opener against Alcorn State, the Sapulpa product scored 19 points with seven rebounds in the second game against San Jose State. Against Arkansas last Monday night, she scored 13 second-half points and also had three rebounds and three assists after the break.
Strong addition: In her first year at TU after transferring from Arizona State, Katelyn Levings has made a significant impact, averaging 8.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. She nearly had a double-double in her Tulsa debut, scoring nine points and adding 10 rebounds in the opener against Alcorn State. Levings, who is from Edmond and played her high school ball at Edmond Memorial, then scored 11 points and had seven boards against Arkansas.
Balanced attack: Four Golden Eagles average double-figures: Hannah Cooper (21.8), Tirzah Moore (13.3), Ruthie Udoumoh (11.3) and Ariel Walker (11.0). Moore also adds 11.8 rebounds per game.
By the numbers
36: number of defensive rebounds per game for TU, ninth in the nation.
7: players on ORU’s roster from the state of Oklahoma, including three starters, two of whom are from the local area (Broken Arrow’s Ruthie Udoumah who played high school at Victory Christian and Delaney Nix from Tahlequah) — added to TU’s total, means that 16 players in Sunday’s game are from Oklahoma, including six starters.
18.7: number of assists per game that TU has averaged so far, with Maddie Bittle and Katia Gallegos sharing the individual lead with 3.3 each.
— John Tranchina and Bryce McKinnis, Tulsa World
