Completed Event: Women's Basketball at #23 Alabama on February 15, 2026 , Win , 79, to, 71
Final
Women's Basketball
79
at #23 Alabama
71
University of Oklahoma Athletics
Women's Hoops Raids Texas Tech
February 26, 2008 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2008
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The game will be produced by the Texas Tech Television Network and broadcast on Cox Channel 3 in Tulsa and Cox Channel 53 News Now (available with an Expanded Basic subscription) in Oklahoma City. Drew Dougherty (play-by-play) and Crystal Boles (color) will call the action. Listen on the radio (KOKC 1520 AM in Oklahoma City) as Brian Brinkley and Tara Pogue have the call.
Tip-off is 7 p.m. Central.
PREVIEWING TEXAS TECH
No. 10 Oklahoma (20-5, 10-3) meets Texas Tech (16-11, 4-9) at United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas, Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 7 p.m.
The Sooners are looking to stay in the fight for the Big 12 title while the Lady Raiders preciously need victories to ensure an NCAA Tournament berth.
Junior college transfer Dominic Seals leads Tech with 14.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Seals struggled against the Sooners in the January meeting, scoring just four points and grabbing three rebounds.
Two who started versus the Sooners in January are now reserves.
Senior center Erin Myrick is the team's second leading scorer with 9.8 points per game but has been replaced in the starting lineup by junior forward Stanecia Graham, who averages 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds.
The team's assists leader, Maria Moore, has been replaced by junior Keisha Walker.
Kristy Curry is 31-27 in her second season at Texas Tech and 210-78 overall in her ninth year as a head coach. Curry is 0-5 against the Sooners with three losses coming while at Texas Tech and two in the NCAA Tournament while head coach at Purdue.
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THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Oklahoma and Texas Tech will meet for the 37th time Wednesday, Feb. 27. Texas Tech leads the series 21-15, including a 12-5 advantage in Lubbock.
Oklahoma started 2-16 versus the Red Raiders before establishing some dominance in the 2000 season and is 13-5 since the start of the decade.
Sherri Coale lost six straight to Tech before getting her first win against the Marsha Sharp coached squad in Norman in an 82-76 bout in Norman. Coale is 13-11 all-time versus Texas Tech.
Oklahoma's 78-39 defeat of Texas Tech in the last meeting was the Lady Raiders' worst loss since 1990 and fourth worst loss since playing under NCAA membership.
VOTE PARIS FOR NAISMITH
Fans can help Courtney Paris win the Naismith Trophy as 25 percent of the selection process for the award comes from a fan vote.
The Naismith Trophy, presented by the Atlanta Tip-off Club, recognizes the women's college basketball national player of the year. Paris was a finalist as a freshman and sophomore.
To register, text "VOTE" to 87654. Registration ends March 22.
Once received, you will be sent a message confirming your registration and, on March 23, will be sent the ballot to vote on Men's National Player of the Year, Women's National Player of the Year, Men's Coach of the Year, and Women's Coach of the Year. Standard text messaging rates apply.
PARIS PASSES 2,000
With her sixth point against Oklahoma State, Sunday, Feb. 23, Courtney Paris reached 2,000 career points quicker than any player in Big 12 or Oklahoma history. Paris was playing her 94th game. Paris finished the game with 18 points to boost her career total to 2,012.
PARIS' 32nd BIG 12 RECORD
If passing 2,000 career points faster than any other player in Big 12 history wasn't enough, Courtney Paris literally grabbed her second Big 12 record in the game against Oklahoma State (Feb. 23). Paris had a career high 11 offensive boards to overtake Baylor's Sophia Young (489, 2003-06) as the Big 12 career offensive rebounds leader.
THIRD CONSECUTIVE 20-WIN SEASON
Oklahoma captured its third consecutive 20-win season and 13th in the program's history with its victory against Oklahoma State on Feb. 23.
THE CIRCUS TRAVELS TO LUBBOCK
When Connecticut visited Norman, Okla., to play the Sooners during the 1999-2000 season, a then-record crowd of 10,713 attended the game at the Lloyd Noble Center. OU head coach Sherri Coale likened the experience to "the circus coming to town."
It seems that Oklahoma now has its own three rings. A visit by the Sooners in 2007-08 boosts its opponent's attendance by 70 percent over its season average. This is up from 41 percent during the 2006-07 season.
BEDLAM SETS ATTENDANCE RECORD
The Bedlam rematch between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State on Feb. 23 set a Lloyd Noble Center women's basketball attendance record of 12,205. The game, which sold out 30 days in advance, was the second consecutive game in Norman to set an attendance record.
PARIS IS WONDERFUL IN FEBRUARY
Tournament time must be near because the Paris twins have turned it on. In seven February games the duo of Ashley and Courtney Paris has averaged 36.0 points and 24.0 rebounds.
Ashley Paris is contributing 13.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She is shooting 54.1 percent from the field and has three of her 10 career double-doubles this month.
Courtney Paris averages 23.0 points and 13.7 rebounds while shooting 65 percent.
TWICE AS NICE
The Paris twins have scored in double figures in the same game on 32 occasions, achieving the feat 17 times in 2007-08 after doing so 11 times last season. Since Courtney has scored in double figures in all of her 93 career games, the 32 occasions account for every double-figure game of Ashley's career. The duo has posted a double-double in the same game 10 times (four as freshman and two as sophomores). OU is 28-4 when both Parises reach double figure scoring and 8-2 when both achieve a double-double.
AMANDA THOMPSON SOONER OF THE MONTH
Amanda Thompson was named the Oklahoma Athletics Department's Sooner of the Month for February. To qualify a student-athlete must be in good academic standing, be a member of an active sport and participate in community service events. Thompson has started all 20 games for the Sooners this season, averaging 10 points and seven rebounds.
ASHLEY PARIS NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Ashley Paris, a journalism major, was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 First Team this week. She will now be eligible for Academic All-America consideration. To qualify, canididates must have a 3.20 cumulative GPA or better and at least one year of academic residency.
Read more...
KAY YOW/WBCA CANCER FUND AUCTION
Oklahoma fans raised $8,041 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund through an online auction on SoonerSports.com. Bids were made on several items used in the Sooners' "Pack the Place Pink Night" against Georgia to promote the WBCA's "Think Pink" Week.
• 12 Pink Warm-up T-shirts raised $2,591, or $216 per shirt.
• The official game ball raised $2,550.
• Coach Coale's signed Jimmy Choo's stiletto heels raised $2,600.
COALE'S 250th VICTORY
Sherri Coale earned her 250th victory in her 12th year as the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners defeated Texas A&M, 68-56, on Tuesday, Feb. 12, for the milestone win. Coale's is OU's all-time leader in coaching victories and winning percentage.
1,000th GAME IN SOONER HISTORY
Oklahoma started its women's basketball program for the 1974-75 season and is approaching its 1,000th game. To date, the Sooners are seven games shy of 1,000 in program history. There are three games left in the regular season, which would mean that if OU failed to get a first-round bye for the Big 12 Tournament, the first opportunity to play 1,000 would be in the Championship Game. OU's all-time record is 576-417 (.580).
TOUGH FINISH
Oklahoma opened the season with the toughest schedule in the nation as its first three games -- Maryland, Tennessee and Arizona State -- featured Top 25 ranked opponents.
Starting with Texas A&M, the seven-game end to the Sooners' regular season features five opponents ranked in the Top 20 of both the media and coaches' polls.
ROBINSON ON PACE FOR 400
OU freshman guard Danielle Robinson is on pace to pass the 400-point scoring benchmark.
Only five other Sooners have achieved the feat in their freshman season. They include the program's No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 9 all-time scorers.
Should Robinson reach 400, she will be just the second guard in OU history (LaNeisha Caufield) to do so her freshman season.
COALE "MOST FUN TO WATCH"
OU head coach Sherri Coale was recently voted by members of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) as the "Most Fun to Watch" head coach in the nation
RECAPPING BEDLAM
Amanda Thompson had a career-high 23 points and 13 rebounds as Oklahoma avenged a blowout loss by beating Oklahoma State 81-71 on Saturday.
Courtney Paris, who finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds, recorded her 86th straight double-double before a sellout crowd, while her twin sister, Ashley Paris, added 14 rebounds for Oklahoma (20-5, 10-3 Big 12).
Andrea Riley scored 26 points for Oklahoma State (21-5, 9-4).
Saturday's game -- arguably the most anticipated in the history of the Bedlam series -- was sold out a month in advance, and the attendance of 12,205 set a Lloyd Noble Center record for women's basketball.
Thompson helped Oklahoma win for the 18th time in its last 19 games against Oklahoma State. The 6-foot sophomore guard, left open for mid-range jumpers, finished 10 of 19 from the field and recorded her second career double-double.
Oklahoma led by as many as 11 points in the second half, but Oklahoma State cut that margin to 66-61 with 6:21 left after a 3-pointer by Green, who scored 19 points.
The Sooners scored the next five points, including two baskets by Danielle Robinson, who finished with 16 points and five assists. Oklahoma went 8 of 11 from the free-throw line in the final 1:35 to hold off the Cowgirls.
The Sooners posted a 54-29 edge on the boards, which proved to be the difference in the game. Coale challenged her team before the game to grab every offensive board.
Oklahoma led by as many as 10 points in the first half before taking a 40-36 halftime lead.
D-ROB, MOST VAUABLE FRESHMAN
Oklahoma's Danielle Robinson is one of only two freshmen (the other is UNC's Cetera DeGraffenreid) on a Top 25 program to lead her team in assists and steals.
Robinson broke out in OU's win against Illinois, scoring eight of her 14 points during a 16-3 run in the second half, lifting the Sooners to a 70-57 lead with 3:36 remaining. Robinson also had back-to-back steals for layups in the stretch. The Sooners won, 77-67, as Robinson recorded a career high seven steals.
Of her 321 points scored this season, 84 (26 percent) have come by way of the fast break, including 10 of her 18 against Arizona State, six of 12 at Michigan State, eight of 20 versus South Carolina, six of 16 against Baylor and six of 12 versus Georgia and Kansas State.
The following is a look at the production of the nation's top freshmen guards (through Sunday, Feb. 24).
| Production by the Nation's Top Freshmen | |||||
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Player |
Team |
GP |
Points |
Assists |
Steals |
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Angie Bjorklund |
Tennessee |
27 |
10.0 |
1.3 |
0.9 |
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Cetera DeGraffenreid |
North Carolina |
27 |
11.8 |
3.3 |
2.4 |
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Maya Moore |
Connecticut |
26 |
18.0 |
3.7 |
1.5 |
| Angela Puleo | Georgia |
27 |
8.5 |
2.7 |
1.2 |
| Danielle Robinson | Oklahoma |
25 |
12.8 |
4.2 |
2.3 |
| Alli Smalley | Auburn |
26 |
10.8 |
2.9 |
1.2 |
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Marah Strickland |
Maryland |
30 |
9.0 |
1.0 |
0.6 |
NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP FOR STEVENSON
Nyeshia Stevenson may not be starting, but she is one of the Sooners most important contributors.
After shooting 18.2 percent (2-of-11) from beyond the arc all last season, Stevenson is eighth in the Big 12 Conference in 3-point field goal percentage at 35 percent (26-of-74) and has made at least two 3s in nine games this season.
Stevenson broke out with a 4-for-4 3-point effort to spark the Sooners in a victory against Mississippi State.
The Little Rock, Ark., native averages 7.7 points per game, fifth best on the team and most by a reserve. After starting the season opener, she has the OU's leading off-the-bench scorer in 19 of the last 24 games. Against Kansas, Stevenson led OU in scoring for the first time in her career with 15 points. She had a Big 12 high of 16 against Colorado.
BLOCK PARTY
Courtney Paris passed LaNae Jones (1993-96) as OU's blocks leader versus North Texas (Nov. 26). Paris entered the contest two blocks from Jones' record of 243 and counted five in the game to move past to 246.
Paris, who has OU's single-season record with 119 blocks as a freshman (and is No. 2 on the single-season list with 111 blocks as a sophomore) currently has 313 career blocks. She and Jones are the only two Sooners ever to record 100 blocks.
Paris passed Texas Tech's Cisti Greenwalt's (121 games, 2002-05) Big 12 career record of 300 blocks against Texas A&M on Feb. 12.
With a rate of 3.3 blocks per game and at least 31 games left in her career, Paris could break 400 career blocks by the time she leaves the college game.
TCU's Sandra Irvin (2002-05) has the NCAA record for career blocks with 480 in 127 games (3.78 per game).
CHAIRWOMAN OF THE BOARD
It wasn't enough for Courtney Paris to break one Big 12 Conference record in OU's rematch against Oklahoma State, the All-American broke two.
Paris reached the 2,000-point plateau in the game, her 94th, doing so quicker than any other player in Big 12 or Oklahoma history.
Paris also passed Baylor's Sophia Young as the Big 12's career offensive rebounds leader. Young had 489 in 139 games between 2003-06.
Paris has owned OU's offensive rebounds record since last season and took over as the No. 1 rebounder in the Sooners' season opener. She passed Caton Hill for No. 1 on OU's defensive rebounding list with seven defensive boards versus Mississippi State (Nov. 27).
Paris currently has 1,435 career rebounds with 495 coming off the offensive glass and 940 defensively.
Against Georgia (Jan. 27) Paris passed Baylor's Sophia Young (1,316 during 2002-06) for the Big 12 Conference record for total rebounds.
Paris claimed Young's Big 12 career record for defensive rebounds (827) with 10 in the game at Iowa State on Jan. 9.
A PERFECT '10'
Courtney Paris' 10 points against South Carolina (Dec. 30) was a career low, meaning she has never scored outside of double figures in her career. Only two other NCAA Division I players - LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (1998-2002) and Chandi Jones, Houston (2000-04) - have finished their careers scoring in double figures in every game.
The most double-figure scoring games was accomplished by Sophia Young of Baylor (2003-06), who scored 10 or more points in 130 of her 139 career games.
Paris' 10 points were 10.5 percent of OU's total 95 against South Carolina, marking her lowest percent contribution since her career began. However, Paris did manage to grasp 24 rebounds, two from her personal best and the second most in a single game by a Division I player this season.
Paris' second lowest percentage contribution came one game before against Central Arkansas, when she provided 14 of the team's program record 121. Paris played only 22 minutes in the game.
Most Consecutive Double-Figure Scoring Games
125, LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (1998-2002, 125 games)
Most Double-Figure Scoring Games
130, Sophia Young, Baylor (2003-06, 139 games)
Scored in Double Figures Every Game of Career
*130, Denise Curry, UCLA (1977-81)
125, LaToya Thomas, Mississippi State (1998-2002)
114, Chandi Jones, Houston (2000-04)
*Pre-NCAA record.
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SOONERS PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN BIG 12 Texas A&M, the 2006-07 Big 12 co-champions with Oklahoma, received seven of 12 first-place votes to edge the Sooners, who received five first-place votes, in a split decision between the two teams. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own team. PARIS PRESEASON BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR The 6-4 center, who averaged 23.5 points and 15.9 rebounds, was last season's Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Sooners to title defenses of the conference's regular season and tournament championships. Ashley Paris was an honorable mention for the All-Big 12 team. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SOONERSPORTS.COM BLOG
Courtney has braces? Find out what prompted her sudden dental work by reading the OU Women's Basketball Blog on SoonerSports.com.
OU head coach Sherri Coale submits regular postings and this season several OU players will enter the cyberspace realm with their own unique contributions.
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