Nov. 21, 2008
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -Courtney Paris had 20 rebounds and 19 points for the 100th double-double of her career and set Oklahoma's scoring record in the No. 2 Sooners' 70-57 win over Arizona State in the semifinals of the Women's Preseason NIT.
Oklahoma (3-0) will host No. 4 North Carolina on Sunday in the championship.
Dymond Simon scored 14 points for Arizona State, while Briann January and Lauren Lacey had 12 each.
Arizona State (2-1) held Paris without a shot or a point for the first 15 minutes and 50 seconds. Still, the 6-foot-4, preseason All-America center extended her double-double streak to 95 games, extending her NCAA record.
She also raised her career point total to 2,189 in 103 games at Oklahoma, eclipsing Phylesha Whaley's 2,187 from 1996-2000.
Paris - who went 8-of-11 from the field - broke the mark with 2:02 left on a trademark play: She took an entry pass from guard Danielle Robinson, pivoted around a defender and banked home a shot.
Her twin sister, Ashley Paris, also had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Oklahoma won despite committing 21 turnovers. The Sooners limited Arizona State to 34 percent field-goal shooting.
Despite Courtney Paris' lack of early scoring, Oklahoma never trailed thanks in good part to sophomore Carlee Roethlisberger, who for the second straight game set a career high, scoring 12 points, all in the first 13 minutes.
Roethlisberger scored seven points during a 10-0 spurt midway through the half that put Oklahoma ahead 22-12.
The Sun Devils made it 24-22, but Courtney Paris had seven points in the final 4:10 of the half for a 37-28 halftime lead. The Paris twins teamed to score the first six points of the second half, putting the Sooners up 43-28 with 17:17 left.
Arizona State came within 48-41 with 10:15 left on a putback by Sybil Dosty, but Courtney Paris scored the next two buckets and Oklahoma's lead never fell below double digits again.
The Sooners beat Arizona State last season 69-57 in the Caribbean Challenge in Cancun, Mexico, in a game played in a hotel ballroom.
Arizona State is 21-6 in its last 27 road games, dating to the second half of the 2005-06 season.