The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
20-10, 8-8
Oklahoma
27-3. 15-1
No. 15/16 Women's Basketball falls to No. 3/3 Oklahoma, 74-62
03.08.2009 | Women's Basketball
March 8, 2009
Box Score 
| Box Score | 
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- The regular season is history. The Oklahoma Sooners now want to make some in the postseason.
The No. 3 Sooners held off No. 15 Texas 74-62 on Sunday, sending the Big 12 regular season champions into the conference tournament aiming to win it and secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
"This is not the end of the road," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "They know there are greater things out there."
Coale also Sunday she expects to have freshman guard Whitney Hand available for the postseason. Hand started 26 games and was the team's top 3-point shooter before breaking her left index figure on Feb. 21.
The Sooners (27-3, 15-1) certainly looked like national title contenders in the first half when they shot 62 percent from the floor and took a 40-21 lead into halftime. The lead got as big as 27 in the second before the Longhorns rallied to get within 11 in the final minute.
Danielle Robinson led the Sooners with 17 points and Paris and Amanda Thompson each scored 16. Paris had just six rebounds, missing her 124th career double-double in 130 games.
Coale liked seeing other players carry the load.
"We're playing through Courtney instead of to her," Coale said.
Ashley Lindsey scored 16 to lead the Longhorns.
Even with the loss, Texas coach Gail Goestenkors has said she's confident her team will get into the NCAA tournament.
On Sunday, Paris had eight points in the first half, but it was Robinson and Thompson doing most of the damage with nine points each and disrupting the Longhorns offense on the perimeter.
"Sometimes they were guarding me, sometimes they weren't," Thompson said.
With the Longhorns still focused on stopping Paris, Robinson hit an early jumper before another Texas turnover led to Nyeshia Stevenson's 3-pointer. Paris grabbed two rebounds for putbacks and the Sooners led 46-25.
"They're so much more than one player. I thought we did a good job on Courtney overall, but their other players stepped up," Goestenkors said.
Another basket by Paris and a 3-pointer by Jenny Vining made it 55-28 with just under 14 minutes left.
When Texas started cutting out the miscues - just five turnovers in the second half - the Longhorns rallied with a 19-6 run that got the Oklahoma lead under 15 with about six minutes to play. Kat Nash hit two 3-pointers in the run.
"Texas outworked us in the second half," Coale said. "Our experience and maturity enabled us to steady the ship."
POSTGAME NOTES
TEAM
- Texas finished the regular season with eight Big 12 regular-season wins, marking its most since recording 13 in 2004-05.
- Texas used the starting lineup of Carla Cortijo, Ashleigh Fontenette, Kathleen Nash, Earnesia Williams and Ashley Lindsey for the first time this season.
- Oklahoma shot .566 (30-of-53) from the field, marking the second-highest field-goal percentage by a Texas opponent this season.
- Texas used a 24-10 run in the second half that spanned from 12:29-4:02 (eight minutes, 27 seconds) to cut the deficit to 13, 67-54.
- Texas also recorded four steals in the same span ... Texas finished the game with eight steals after recording just two in the first half.
Kathleen Nash
- Made her first start since Feb. 21 at Texas A&M.
- Scored all of her 12 points (4-of-10 FG, 2-of-5 3FG, 2-of-2 FT) in the second half.
- Most points scored since 15 at Oklahoma State (Feb. 5).
- Totaled 10+ points for the third time in four games.
- Reached double-figures for the 21st time this season and the 30th time of her career.
- Pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.
Ashley Lindsey
- Scored 16 points (7-of-12 FG, 1-of-2 3FG, 1-2 FT) to reach double-figures for the third time in four games... totaled 11 points in the first half.
- Made her second career 3-pointer, first came earlier this season at Oklahoma (Jan. 25).
- Tied season high with seven field goals made.
- Tallied two blocks to increase her career total to 247.
Brittainey Raven
- Came off the bench for the first time since Dec. 16, 2006 (at No. 4 Duke).
- Scored 12 points (5-of-13 FG, 2-of-5 FT) for her highest scoring effort off the bench in 97 career games.
- Reached double-figure scoring for the 17th time of the season and the 60th time of her career.
Ashleigh Fontenette
- Scored 10 points (4-of-9 FG, 0-1 3FG, 2-2 FT), all of which came in the second half.
- Reached double figures for the eighth time of her career and the second time in the last three outings.
TEXAS QUOTES
HEAD COACH Gail Goestenkors
Opening statement: Congratulations to Oklahoma. They showed why they're the best team in the conference. Obviously they've got Courtney [Paris], but they're so much more than just one player. They gave a great team effort. I thought we did a good job on Courtney overall, but the other players stepped up. They played their roles I thought very well. It was rough for us in the first half, but we fought back in the second half. I thought we showed a lot of heart and intensity. That's who we want to be and that's who we need to be for 40 minutes. I'm disappointed with the loss but proud of the effort in the second half.
On the key to their strong second half: We picked up full court, tried to trap and create some things with our defense. Offensively, having that attack mindset, and our guards did a good job of getting to the rim. If they got stopped, they were looking for a post. We were much more aggressive during that run on both ends of the floor.
On the lineup change to start the game: Brittainey [Raven] has not been rebounding for us. That's been such a focus for us. After the last game when she didn't have any rebounds, I felt like I needed to make a statement to her. We had been talking about it but I really needed to show how important it was. I thought the second half, the way she battled, not just on offense and defense but on the boards as well, that's we need from her for 40 minutes. It changes the way we play when she's that aggressive.
On evaluating the last two seasons: I think we've come a long way. We play hard and I think everybody's growing. On and off the court, I see great growth from our players. I'm very proud of them. However, there's inconsistency. If you're going to be a championship team, you have to bring it every single moment you're out there. I don't think we have a player that will bring it night in, night out. We don't have that team yet. That's part of the growing process. We've learned to win on the road. Now we have to learn to be consistent with our effort. That's another level for us that we need to get to.
SOPHOMORE GUARD Kathleen Nash
On the key to their strong second half: My teammates did a great job of penetrating and finding the open player. That helped get into a rhythm.
On the momentum going into the postseason: I think it'll be great for us coming off that second half. We realize that's how we need to play, moving on offense and defense, penetrating and kicking to each other. Hopefully we'll take that and transfer it over to the Big 12 Tournament.
SENIOR FORWARD Ashley Lindsey
On the key to her success: Courtney Paris is a good player. I've been defending her for four years. My success tonight was all about our inside-outside attack. When they passed it in, I either scored or passed it back out.
On the quality of Oklahoma: They're a great team. They have a variety of people that can score. They're the best in the Big 12.
On her career at Texas: I had two great coaches, one for two years, the other for these last two years. They've taught me a whole lot.
FRESHMAN GUARD Ashleigh Fontenette
On the key to their strong second half: At the beginning of the game, we talked about pride. When we were down at halftime, in the locker room, we said we needed to go out with a bang. We came back out in the second half, we were attacking more and playing better defense.
OKLAHOMA QUTOES
HEAD COACH SHERRI COALE
Opening statement: I was real proud of our effort. I thought in the first half we really had great offensive rhythm and did a nice job with the defensive game plan. Then I thought in the second half we came out and were not flat, I thought we played well at the beginning of the second half. We went flat about halfway through, then I thought Texas outworked us in the middle of the second half. I thought their effort and their fight was obvious. We weren't great but they were pretty good and they did some good things there and give them credit for that. Our experience and our maturity enabled us to steady the ship.
On committing 21 turnovers: I thought we got to playing too fast late. We had a few crazy ones in the first half, nothing I was too upset about. But in the second half we just went way too fast. Trying to fix what we had broken all in one fell swoop and it kind of caught up with us.
On Amanda Thompson's play: I thought she was fantastic. She did what she's known for, and that's go get the ball off the glass. She defended and did a nice job on (Brittainey) Raven. Offensively, she let the game come to her. She didn't try to do too much and was focused on feeding our posts and reacting off those feeds. I thought she was very aggressive too and I loved that.
JUNIOR FORWARD AMANDA THOMPSON
On her 16 point, six rebound effort: I was just out there playing; I really wasn't worrying about what they were doing. Sometimes they were guarding me and sometimes they weren't. I took advantage of those situations and it came out good.
SOPHOMORE GUARD DANIELLE ROBINSON
On the abundance of turnovers in the second half: They just sped us up a little bit. Our decisions weren't as great as they were in the first half. I knew we had some miscommunication on where people were going to go
