Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirls Lose Round Two of Bedlam, 70-54
February 01, 2006 | Cowgirl Basketball
The double-double was the 14th straight for Paris, the longest current streak in NCAA Division I women's basketball, and the 19th of the season for the freshman center, also tops in the nation.
Oklahoma (18-4, 8-0 Big 12) won its sixth straight game - a stretch that includes a road win over defending national champion Baylor - and is one win shy of matching its best start ever in conference play. The Sooners started 9-0 in league play during the 1999-2000 season.
Every other Big 12 team has at least two conference losses this season.
The Sooners' ranking is their highest since the final poll of the 2001-2002 season, when Oklahoma, the national runner-up that season, was No. 2.
Oklahoma State (6-14, 0-9) has lost 16 straight games against Big 12 teams, including conference tournament matchups. The Cowgirls, who lost by 34 points to Oklahoma in Stillwater on Jan. 14, haven't beaten Oklahoma since the 1999 Big 12 tournament.
Oklahoma didn't shoot particularly well Tuesday, finishing at 47.5 percent from the field, and the Sooners committed 16 turnovers. But the Cowgirls struggled even more, shooting 32.1 percent and committing 18 turnovers.
Whitney Pegram had 18 points and eight rebounds and Shaunte Smith scored 15 for Oklahoma State, which outscored the Sooners by eight at the free-throw line.
Oklahoma never trailed, jumping to leads of 7-0 and 21-5 as the Cowgirls missed all but one of their first 15 shots. Oklahoma State used a 9-2 run to pull within 23-14, but Erin Higgins' third 3-pointer of the half restored Oklahoma's lead to 14 points.
The Sooners led 36-24 at halftime.
Oklahoma State was as close as 41-31 with 16:16 left, but Paris had two baskets in a 6-0 run to again extend the Sooners' lead.
Britney Brown's three-point play with 8:52 left put Oklahoma ahead 58-38, and the Cowgirls got no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
Chelsi Welch scored 12 points and Brown added 11 for the Sooners.
