Jackson Leads OU Over Lamar, 60-42

NORMAN, Okla. -- Dionnah Jackson did it all for Oklahoma in its win against Lamar on Thursday night, but Sooners coach Sherri Coale wants someone else to be doing it, too.

Jackson scored a career-high 24 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to lead Oklahoma to a 60-42 victory, but she was the only one in double figures as Coale flip-flopped her lineup all night to try to find a potent combination.

Thirteen Sooners played and nine logged at least 10 minutes on the floor as Coale shifted players in and out. Lauren Shoush started in place of Chelsi Welch and had four points, seven rebounds and four assists, but also four turnovers.

With Shoush starting instead of coming off the bench, the Sooners (4-1) were without their usual sparkplug.

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Instead, it was up to Jackson, and she proved more than capable.

With the game still within Lamar's reach, Jackson scored six straight points - all in the paint - during a 10-0 run that put Oklahoma ahead 54-34 and iced the game with 7 minutes to play.

"Nobody can stay in front of her," Coale said. "If she wants to get to the rim, she's gonna get to the rim."

Jackson, who spent her first three seasons passing up shots to set up her teammates, is still adjusting to being the team's primary scorer. In the Sooners' loss at Iowa last week, Jackson took only eight shots. Coale had to encourage her to shoot more against Lamar.

"My team feeds off me and I have to start it," Jackson said. "Tonight, I was focused on it a lot."

The Sooners, who fell out of the rankings following the loss to Iowa, committed a season-high 24 turnovers to allow Lamar (3-1) to stay in the game.

"They're ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous," Coale said. "A team's playing sag defense and we turn it over 24 times? That's either being lackadaisical, indecisive or I won't go to option three. It's no better than the first two.

"C'mon, make a decision, be sure about what you're doing and throw it away from the defense. How hard is that?"

Oklahoma scored the first eight points and led by as many as 13 before Lamar pulled within 20-14 on a banked 3-pointer by Demela Lowe that capped a 7-0 run.

It was Jackson that got the Sooners going again with back-to-back baskets to stretch the lead to 27-16.

Coale said the Sooners badly need someone else to help Jackson carry the load - and not just one person, but several.

"There's going to have to be a lot of people who play a role. I don't know that there needs to be a 1-2 punch. I think there needs to be a 1-4 punch.

"If we don't get that, I'm not sure how special we can be. But if we do get it, I'm absolutely convinced of how special we can be."

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