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Women’s college basketball briefs

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published March 9, 2001

Oklahoma runs its way to spot in title game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Stacey Dales and the Oklahoma Sooners are enjoying the Big 12 Conference tournament for a change.

No. 7 Oklahoma made eight three-pointers in the first half and went on to tie the tournament record of 14 during its 102-93 semifinal win over No. 20 Colorado on Thursday night.

The top-seeded Sooners, who had never won a Big 12 tournament game before this year, cruised into the final.

"This is definitely an exciting team," Dales said. "We're having fun. Post-season is a lot of fun. We're just enjoying the ride."

The Sooners also broke the points record of 98 set by Texas A&M in 1998.

"We wanted to push the ball," said Caton Hill, who led the Sooners with 23 points and 11 rebounds. "If we kept doing that, we knew it would be hard for Colorado to keep up."

Five other players scored in double figures for the Sooners. LaNeishea Caufield had 19 points, Rosalind Ross 17, Dales 16, Sunny Hardeman 15 and Jamie Talbert 10.

Mandy Nightingale scored 22 points, Linda Lappe 18 and Jenny Rouilear 15 for Colorado.

The Buffaloes cut a 14-point deficit to seven in the second half, but Hardeman answered with two three-pointers to hold them off.

"Kansas also came back on us," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "But we were able to weather it then, too. It's the maturity of this team. Colorado's not going to go away. We knew that."

Oklahoma never trailed and led 50-39 at halftime.

The Sooners play Iowa State on Saturday.

Missouri Valley

NO. 16 S.W. MISSOURI ST. 92, INDIANA ST. 63: Jackie Stiles scored 22 to lead the host Bears in the opening round at Springfield, Mo.

Stiles, the women's career scoring leader, played just 24 minutes as Southwest Missouri's defense held Indiana State to 37 percent shooting.

It took Indiana State more than six minutes to hit a field goal in each half.

Southwest Missouri opened with a 17-3 run before Indiana State scored with 13:47 left in the half.

The Bears shot 67 percent from the field in the first half and led 47-28 at halftime.

Southwest Missouri went on an 18-2 run to open the second half and led 65-30 before Indiana State could make a field goal.

Erika Rante scored 15 for Southwest Missouri and Tara Mitchem added 14. Erica Vicente finished with 11 assists.

Kiwana Battle led Indiana State with 15 points, and Kourtney Mennen added 11.

Southwest Missouri meets the winner of the Wichita State-Northern Iowa game in the semifinals Saturday. Drake plays Evansville in the other semifinal.

NO. 13 IOWA ST. 73, NO. 11 TEXAS TECH 62: Angie Welle had 25 points and 11 rebounds for the third-seeded Cyclones.

Second-seeded Texas Tech led most of the first half, but Erica Haugen hit a three-pointer to give the Cyclones a 55-53 lead with 7:47 left. Iowa State then scored seven straight to put it out of reach.

Lindsey Wilson added 15 points, and Megan Taylor had 10 for the Cyclones. Planette Pierson scored 13, Jia Perkins 12 and Katrisa O'Neal 10 for Texas Tech.

The Raiders led 33-29 at halftime.

Iowa State lost to Texas Tech 68-60 in the final game of the regular season.

Patriot League

HOLY CROSS 94, LEHIGH 68: Monika Rothemich scored 21 for the Crusaders in the championship game in Worcester, Mass. Holy Cross earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.

Cat Nicholson led Lehigh with 17 points.

Amanda Abraham scored 16 and Jeanette Paukert and Elisa Zawadzkas each had 14 for Holy Cross, which shot 58 percent from the field.

Lehigh closed within 20 points only twice in the second half. Nicholson hit a three-pointer to make it 55-38 with 15:07 left, but Abraham countered with a pair of field goals to break it open.

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