OU Drops Lobos in Albuquerque, 83-70

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- With No. 20 Oklahoma safely in front late in the second half, Sooners freshman sensation Courtney Paris was hit in the back by a ball tossed by a New Mexico fan.

It got Paris angry, but the ball in the back didn't compare to the damage she inflicted on the No. 16 ranked Lobos.

Paris got her 10th double-double of the season with 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Chelsi Welch added a season-high 20 points as the Sooners beat New Mexico 83-70 Friday night.

Statistics | Notes | Photos | Sooner Basketball Central

"I have a lot of respect for New Mexico fans because of the environment here and their huge support for women's basketball, but I thought that was the most classless thing ever," Paris said.

Paris, who leads the nation in double-doubles, had 20 points and 14 rebounds in the second half after getting in foul trouble early and playing just 5 minutes in the opening period.

Oklahoma (10-3) didn't miss Paris, as Welch scored 18 points in the first half. Welch scored eight points in an 18-0 run that put the Sooners safely ahead at 30-8 with 9:28 left. Welch, who went 10-for-10 at the free throw line, also had 10 rebounds for a double-double by halftime.

With a front row seat to the scoring clinic, Paris didn't mind being a spectator.

"I'm so glad I got those two quick fouls," Paris said. "I got a chance to sit on the bench and watch Chelsi Welch and Leah Rush and the others step up. It's the best feeling."

New Mexico (9-3) shot just 35 percent. The Lobos, with reserves Julie Briody and Timi E-Nunu out with injuries, couldn't match up with the Sooners' quickness and the inside muscle of Paris.

"Everyone on that team can score and their post players are much bigger than we are," said New Mexico guard Katie Montgomery.

New Mexico trailed by 20 or more points most of the second half before outscoring the Sooners 14-2 in the final 3:23.

Oklahoma, which beat New Mexico 74-63 in Albuquerque in the semifinal round of the preseason WNIT, had a 49-38 edge in rebounding. In that game, Paris scored 26 points and had 18 rebounds.

This time New Mexico took it right at Paris early and got two quick fouls on her in the first 2 minutes. But there was no stopping the other Sooners.

"They're all good players," said Lobo center Jana Francis. "We tried stopping them the way we thought would work, but they had other weapons."

Francis and Brandi Kimble each scored 15 points for New Mexico. Francis hit three 3-pointers in the second half.

New Mexico led only once, on Abbie Letz' turnaround jumper in the opening minute. The Sooners' 18-0 run started with back-to-back 3s by Erin Higgins and Welch. It ended with another 3 from Higgins, who hit four in the game.

Paris, who is averaging 22 points and 14.7 rebounds a game, took over in the second half. Her five straight points squelched a brief New Mexico rally that cut the Sooners' lead to 47-30 after a three-point lay by Dionne Marsh with 18:34 left in the game.

New Mexico, unable to get much scoring inside, put up 18 3-pointers and hit five. The Lobos were 0-for-8 on 3s in the first half.

"They believed they were going to be successful and for some reason we didn't believe we were going to be successful," New Mexico coach Don Flanagan said. "They had better effort and were much more physical and aggressive in the first half."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GAME NOTES
No. 20 Oklahoma improved to 10-3 on the season while No. 16 New Mexico fell to 9-3. OU improved to 2-2 against ranked teams, 4-2 on the road, 6-2 against UNM, 3-1 in Albuquerque and in the process became the first non-conference opponent since 1975 to defeat New Mexico on its home court twice in one season.

The attendance of 13, 567 is the largest crowd OU has played in front of this season.

TEAM NOTES
Oklahoma's next contest is its Big 12 opener against Iowa State (8-2) on Jan. 4. The Sooners will travel to Ames for a 6 p.m. CST game from Hilton Coliseum.

OU assist total of 20 was its second highest of the season and the fourth time OU has reached 20. Their season high is 21 against Oral Roberts on Dec. 3.

FIRST HALF NOTES
OU went on a 18-0 run from the 12:59 mark to the 9:13 in the first half. OU extended its lead to 30-8 and the streak was snapped by a pair of free throws from Jana Francis.

Despite missing its leading scorer and rebounder (Courtney Paris), OU was able to extend its lead to as many as 27 points in the first half. The Sooners had 14 assists on 15 field goals and were perfect at the free throw line (10-10).

OU's 14 first half assists matched its best total in the last four games. The Sooners had 14 assists against Missouri State, four games ago.

BRITNEY BROWN NOTES
Britney Brown had five first half assists and finished the game with seven, tying a career high that she has set three times, including in the Sooners last game against New Mexico on Nov. 16.

ERIN HIGGINS NOTES
Erin Higgins made four 3-pointers and compiled 12 points in the game. It marks the 21st time in her career and the sixth time this season she has made at least four in a game. She is leading the Big 12 with 35 three-pointers this season.

COURTNEY PARIS NOTES
With 24 points and 15 rebounds in 22 minutes of play, freshman center Courtney Paris collected her NCAA Division I leading 10th double-double in 13 games this season. It is her fifth consecutive double-double.

For the second consecutive game Paris had a huge second half. She turned in 20 points and 13 rebounds in the second half. She had 23 points and 15 rebounds in the Sooners' last game against No. 11 Michigan State.

Paris went to the bench with two early fouls at 17:38 in the first half. OU was leading 6-4 at that point. The Sooners responded by outpacing the Lobos 28-8 over the next 10 minutes and claiming a 44-22 lead at the half.

Paris has scored in double figures in every game, 13, of her young career and has topped 20 on eight occasions.

CHELSI WELCH NOTES
Chelsi Welch started for the first time in eight games, dating back to the Connecticut contest on Nov. 20., and made the most of the opportunity. Welch poured in 18 first half points on two 3-pointers and an 10-10 effort at the free throw line. Her first half effort was a season high and her best total since her freshman season.

Welch finished the game with 20 points, marking the third time in her career she has reached the 20 point mark. Her career high was 23 against Texas Tech as a freshman.

Welch was 10-10 at the free throw line tonight and improves to 41-42 on the season. She leads the Big 12 with a .976 free throw percentage and entered the game ranked fourth in the NCAA.

Welch had also clinched her first career double-double by the end of the first half with 10 rebounds, in addition to her 18 points. She finished with a career best 12 boards, topping her previous best of nine against Henderson State in 2004.

Welch was also one assist short of her career high with four.

Next Event

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics