Oklahoma basketball: Loss of Whitney Hand leaves Sherri Coale with eight healthy players

“Last time I checked, you can make it with five,” Coale said. “That's all that have to be on the floor at a time.”

It was 10 seasons ago when Coale last had a team with this much attrition.

The 2002-03 Sooners lost Erin Higgins and Caton Hill on the same November day, both with torn ACLs.

That team still earned an NCAA Tournament berth; Coale's Sooners have gone 13 straight seasons.

“I would not doubt the character of these kids,” Coale said. “They will find a way. We will piece it together.

“People of Oklahoma are gonna be really proud of our basketball team. If I was just Susie Q on the street, and wanted to feel better about everything in my world, I'd buy a ticket to go watch the women's basketball team play.”