The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma
Jackson's career-high 30 points help Texas past Oklahoma in OT
01.26.2005 | Women's Basketball
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Tiffany Jackson chased away a terrible half with a terrific comeback.
Jackson had career highs of 30 points and 16 rebounds, and Nina Norman scored a career-best 22 points as No. 15 Texas rallied from a 14-point second-half deficit to beat Oklahoma 83-71 in overtime Wednesday night.
Jackson had eight turnovers to go with 10 points and six rebounds in the first half, but committed only one turnover over the next 25 minutes as she helped rally Texas to its biggest comeback of the season.
"We thought she was going for a triple-double there, but she didn't quite get it," Texas coach Jody Conradt joked.
"Tiffany's the kind of player that makes things happen, and you don't want to put reins on somebody who has the kind of ability she does."
Norman scored the first four points of overtime, and Jackson added nine points -- including an offensive rebound putback and a three-point play -- as the Longhorns kept pulling away in the extra period.
"I just kept fighting," Jackson said. "I just tried to be hard-nosed and tried to rebound as well as I could."
Dionnah Jackson had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Oklahoma (11-6, 3-3 Big 12), which lost for the first time in eight home games this season. Erin Higgins scored 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from 3-point range, and Leah Rush and Chelsi Welch had 12 points each.
The Sooners led by 12 points with 7? minutes to play before the Longhorns (11-6, 4-2) started their comeback.
Daria Mieloszynska hit a 3-pointer, Jamie Carey added a layup in transition and Jackson banked in a short jump shot as the Longhorns reeled off seven straight points. Norman cut the Sooners' lead to 60-56 on a driving layup with 5 minutes to play.
The Longhorns pulled to 65-62 on a three-point play by Jackson, and Carey drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to tie it up.
Rush cut to the basket for a layup to give Oklahoma the lead, but Kala Bowers hit an off-balance jumper from just inside the 3-point line to send the game to overtime.
"There were big shots all around," Conradt said. "Kala made one, Jamie Carey made a huge three. And that's what good teams are supposed to do: find ways to win."
Bowers finished with 12 points and Carey added 10 for Texas.
Erin Higgins hit back-to-back 3-pointers to put Oklahoma ahead 36-26 at halftime, and the Sooners scored the first four points of the second half as Texas missed its first seven shots.
"It's a very difficult game to lose, mostly because I felt we dominated for about 35 minutes," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "We had a chance to punch them in the mouth early in the second half, and we didn't take advantage of that."
Norman led the Longhorns' resurgence with six straight points, including two layups in transition and two free throws.
"I asked her how she turned it on like that, and she said, 'We need it,' " Conradt said. "That time we needed it, and she answered."
They drew to 47-41 following a three-point play by Bowers, but Oklahoma rallied for six straight points and led by 12 after a jumper by Jackson from the right side.
After that, Oklahoma couldn't hold the Longhorns at bay.
Rush gave the Sooners a final lead with 20 seconds to play, but Bowers responded 12 seconds later.
Conradt said she had called timeout to set up a play for Norman or Jackson, but it was Bowers who ended up open instead.
Bowers said she didn't hesitate to take the shot.
"I knew we needed it and I was open, so I took it," Bowers said.
POSTGAME NOTES
• Texas wins its first Big 12 road game of the season. Longhorns are now 4-2 in the Big 12 and 1-2 in away Big 12 games.
• Sophomore forward Tiffany Jackson netted her fourth double-double of the year and her first since Dec. 16 vs. North Texas. Jackson had a career-highs and game-highs of 30 points and 16 rebounds. Her former point high was 27 vs. Georgia this year and her former rebound high was 15 twice earlier this year. Jackson netted 20 or more points for the fifth time this year and has now been in double-figure scoring 15 times this year, also a team high.
• Junior guard Nina Norman, this week's Big 12 Player of the Week, netted a career-high 22 points. Her previous high was 19.
• Texas outrebounded Oklahoma, 50-36, marking the first time in five games that the Longhorns have outrebounded the opponent. Texas was outrebounded three times and tied the opponent once in those games.
• This is the first OT game for Texas this year. The Longhorns are 12-10 all-time in overtime games.
• Texas is now 5-1 against Oklahoma in the last six meetings.
• Texas entered the game ranked No. 1 in Big 12 free-throw shooting, hitting 79 percent of the free throws. Tonight, the Longhorns shot 16-of-22 from the free-throw line, including 8-of-9 in overtime.
• In the overtime period, Texas was 4-of-6 from the floor and 8-of-9 in free throws, while Oklahoma went 2-of-14 from the floor (0-of-8 in three-point FGs and did not attempt a free throw.
