Oklahoma State University Athletics
Sooners Even Season Series With Cowgirls, 81-71
February 24, 2008 | Cowgirl Basketball
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -Courtney Paris had 18 points and 15 rebounds for her 86th straight double-double, helping No. 11 Oklahoma avenge a blowout loss by beating No. 16 Oklahoma State 81-71 Saturday before a sellout crowd.
Andrea Riley scored 26 points for Oklahoma State (21-5, 9-4).
The Sooners lost 82-63 on Jan. 12 when they played in Stillwater, but they led most of the way in the rematch, although rarely by a comfortable margin. Oklahoma is looking for a third straight regular-season conference title, but entered Saturday trailing Baylor and Kansas State by a game in the standings.
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.
``You know what? We're 1-1,'' Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke said of the Bedlam season series. ``Hopefully there will be a third. Everybody would like to see it.''
Amanda 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.
``We gave her the same shots last time, and she hit them this time,'' Oklahoma State guard Danielle Green said.
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.
``You know, we just don't go away,'' Budke said. ``We have been doing that all year long. We always have the ability to come back.
``Everybody's game plan when they play OU is to challenge someone other than the Paris twins,'' he said. ``Give Amanda Thompson credit. ... She just played well. She is a legitimate player. I thought Danielle stepped up and matched that but we just didn't have the third one today. We needed to go deeper than two and we just didn't get that today.''
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.
``Offensive rebounds are momentum changers as much as second opportunities to score,'' Coale said. ``They give life and they take life away. We felt like we had an opportunity to win that battle and wanted to crash. We worked on it. It's just what we do.''
Oklahoma led by as many as 10 points in the first half before taking a 40-36 halftime lead.
