Lake City Playhouse is getting traditional this week, opening its 2012-’13 season on Friday with the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!” Artistic Director George Green said Lake City’s small venue – it seats 170 – allows the theater’s creative team to take big, sprawling productions such as “Oklahoma!” and concentrate on the story.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City Thunder come into the new season with lofty goals. They looked very much like a contender in their opener. Kevin Durant scored 30 points to help the Thunder win their opener with a 97-89 victory Sunday night over Orlando, a team that has been dealing with Dwight Howard’s trade demands since training camp opened.

STILLWATER, Okla. – An emotionally exhausting nine days for the Oklahoma State Cowgirls ended Saturday with hugs, tears and a few smiles. In their first game since a plane crash killed coach Kurt Budke, assistant coach Miranda Serna and two others, the Cowgirls beat Coppin State 59-35 behind 17 points from Tiffany Bias.

Two days after winning one of the college football season’s early marquee games, Bob Stoops (pictured) was rewarded Monday with a new contract extension that could keep him as the coach of top-ranked Oklahoma through 2018 and pay him $34.5 million over the next seven years. Oklahoma’s board of regents voted to give Stoops a $75,000 bump in his annual salary and a handful of bonuses that will reward him for staying in Norman each June. “I don’t think I need to add anything to the proof that he gave to the national viewing audience that there’s no better football coach in the country than he is,” university president David Boren said. The deal calls for Stoops’ paydays to grow over the years, topping out at $5.15 million in salary and bonuses over the final three years. – AP

NEW YORK – Being voted preseason No. 1 is a tradition at Oklahoma, and this season is no different. The Sooners will start out top-ranked in The Associated Press college football poll for the 10th time, more than any program in the country.

DALLAS – The young Oklahoma City Thunder keep getting better. They just are not ready to take that next step yet. Despite leading on the road for much of Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, they couldn’t extend their season after giving Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki a second chance.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Coming off his worst performance in the playoffs, Kevin Durant couldn’t get his shots to fall again. Then he caught a glimpse of his mother dancing around during a timeout and, like magic, the ball started going through the net. Durant scored 39 points for his best offensive outing of the series, Russell Westbrook had his first playoff triple-double and the Oklahoma City Thunder advanced to the Western Conference finals with a 105-90 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 7 on Sunday.