March to the Arch: Sooners in St. Louis

NEWS 9's Toby Rowland visits St. Louis as the OU Women's basketball team makes an appearance in the Final Four.

Saturday, April 4th 2009, 7:50 pm

By: News 9


News9.com

ST. LOUIS, Missouri -- NEWS 9's Toby Rowland visits St. Louis as the OU Women's basketball team makes an appearance in the Final Four.

The Sooners' last Final Four game was played in 2002, when they beat Duke, 86-71.

One aspect of the team's play will likely be the contagious encouraging nature of freshman Whitney Hand.

She said she's unconscious of the constant smiling, but her teammates know they can look for the grin after making a play in a game or dragging from fatigue.

Head Coach Sherri Coale is encouraging her team to soak up the experience.

"The most important thing is to savor the moment," Coale said. "It's just really, really hard to get there. You want to make sure you take everything in. You want to make sure that you enjoy and realize how special it is."

Coale believes she has "all the pieces" for the Sooners success going into the final stages of the tournament.

Courtney Paris' promise once again has made headlines, as the Sooners look to ultimately win the National Championship. Paris promised she would pay back her scholarship, estimated at $64,000, if the team didn't win.

UConn fans were more than willing to shell out the cash, but Sooner fans believe in Paris and team and are proud to have made it to the Final Four.

The team took a field trip to the Arch, and several fans have also made the trek to Missouri in support of the Sooners.

Following a practice open to the public, the women signed autographs and answered questions about the fierce competition they face from the Louisville Cardinals.

What does ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo think about the Sooners' match up? See what Toby Rowland could get from tight-lipped Lobo.

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