Oklahoma women's basketball: Depth, bench struggles present problems for Sooners

The larger problem looming over this Oklahoma team, though, is its bench; OU's well-documented injury problems have left it with inexperienced reserves who have struggled to produce consistently.

In five conference games, OU's three reserves who have played — senior Jasmine Hartman, junior Portia Durrett and freshman Nicole Kornet — are averaging a combined 29.9 minutes, 2.8 points and 3.6 rebounds.

“We need production,” Coale said of her reserves. “We need efficiency. ... We just need more consistency coming off the bench.”

Hartman sat out the entire season last year with a torn ACL, and Durrett and Kornet are first-year Sooners.

“At this time of year, you don't get the maximum reps which make those things second nature, because you're trying to prepare for all these opponents,” Coale said. “There becomes a period there where everything is pretty gray and murky for guys that aren't getting a whole lot of reps.

“They just have to play through that. There's light at the end of the tunnel. It'll get better in a couple weeks but it's hard right now.”