The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma
Women's Basketball falls to Oklahoma, 78-58
02.12.2007 | Women's Basketball
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- Courtney Paris had 27 points and 15 rebounds, and No. 14 Oklahoma used a shuffled lineup to rout Texas 78-58 on Monday night.
The Sooners (19-4, 9-3 Big 12) ended the first half with a 27-3 run and avenged one of their four losses.
Paris scored 10 points on 5-for-5 shooting and Jenna Plumley, one of two freshmen in coach Sherri Coale's new lineup, added a pair of 3-pointers as the Sooners surged ahead. On the final play of the half, Paris took an inbounds pass from Plumley with 1.5 seconds left and hit a turnaround jumper from the left side to put the Sooners up 48-22.
She then ran off the court with her teammates, getting congratulated as though she'd hit a game-winner. Texas (16-10, 5-7) was 0-for-6 from the field and committed six turnovers during Oklahoma's run.
The Longhorns, who beat Oklahoma 67-62 in Austin on Jan. 31, got back within 55-38 when Tiffany Jackson came across the lane and scored a layup around Paris from the left block.
With Jackson on the bench with four fouls, Erneisha Bailey scored six straight points to cut the deficit to 62-46.
That's as close as the Longhorns got. Oklahoma pushed back with six points in a row, and Paris' basket inside made it 68-46.
Paris got her 51st straight double-double and her twin sister, Ashley Paris, got her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Plumley added 11 points and a career-high eight assists, and Amanda Thompson had 10 points and eight rebounds. Both made their first career starts as Coale switched things up after the Sooners lost three of their previous four games.
Jackson led Texas with 19 points, Bailey scored 14 and Earnesia Willams had 12. The Longhorns have lost three straight games.
TEXAS POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Jody Conradt
Give Oklahoma credit. They shot the ball well, inside and outside. I was really disapppointed that we lost our discipline in the last part of the first half and let them get away from us and they opened up that huge lead. When you settle for quick shots like we did I the first half, then you lose your floor balance, don't get in position for rebounds and don't get back correctly on defense. If we could have taken away that spurt where we scored just one field goal in about seven minutes, we would have been right with them.
But in the second half, I was very pleased with how we adjusted and kept playing hard and found a rythymn.
Then midway through the half we got within striking distance, but then three quick shots -- all misses -- combined with three straight Oklahoma scores, ended it for us.
In the end, Courtney (Paris) demanded such a great deal of attention from the start, and when we were making any moves, Oklahoma broke our back with three's tonight.
OKLAHOMA POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Sherri Coale
On the game: We played with energy and emotion and we did a tremendous job of staying in the game all night long. Our older guys are really helping me teach those youngins. They are helping A.T. (Amanda Thompson) from the very beginning, helping Jenna improve. I thought that was huge as well. We really clicked on all cylinders tonight. This energy was just dying to come out.
The first half was as well as we have played all year. We moved the basketball very well and we had a tremendous shooting percentage from behind the arc and from two-point range.
