OU vs. UNM

[Bball Girl]

UNM played like they were frozen to the court in the first half last night. They couldn't hit a bucket in the first half and and MISSED 14 freethrows...there's the game. They got CP in foul trouble but did not/could not use that to any advantage thanks to Ms. Chelsi Welch going off like a rocket and CP keeping it going in the 2nd half. I couldn't tell from the radio if OU's peremiter defense was so good or UNM was taking bad shots or what, but 27% from 3PT land didn't help.

Like I said, UNM's weakness has been rebounding and that certainly was the case last night.

Lobos played much better in the 2nd half, but could never chip into the lead. The 83-70 score is closer than the game EVER was.

Some snippets from the ABQ Journal
"I saw so many things out there I didn't like," Flanagan said. "But the biggest thing was, we have to play as hard as (the Sooners) play. It took us a long time to start playing that hard."
"I'm actually so glad I got those two fouls," Paris said. "I got to sit on the bench and cheer and watch my teammates go off. Chelsi was on fire. It was the most fun I've ever had on the bench. How can you not love a kid like this!!

Spurred on by the large crowd, the Lobos made a far better effort in the second half. Using full-court pressure, UNM reeled off eight quick points to trim a 47-22 deficit to 47-30.
But whenever the Lobos threatened to make an extended run, Oklahoma simply went to Paris. Using her strength and a nifty drop step, the freshman scored inside again and again, helping the Sooners maintain a comfortable lead until the closing minutes.
"A couple of times on the press I thought the crowd was starting to get into it," Oklahoma coach Sherri Cole said. "But when we broke the press and got the ball to Courtney, I thought we broke the crowd's spirit as well."


I hated to see the Lobos play like they did in front of 13,000 strong last night. But it was great to see Chelsi find her sync and play like she did.

Congrats OU...a well deserved win.

[Bball Girl]

According to the AP, CP got hit in the head by a basketball thrown by a Lobo fan. I didn't see anything else about this except in this AP article. If it's true I hope the jerk gets banned from the Pit.

With 20th-ranked Oklahoma safely in front late in the second half, Sooners freshman sensation Courtney Paris was hit in the back by a ball tossed by a New Mexico fan.

It got Paris angry, but the ball in the back didn't compare to the damage she inflicted on the No. 16 ranked Lobos.

Paris got her 10th double-double of the season with 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Chelsi Welch added a season-high 20 points as the Sooners beat New Mexico 83-70 Friday night.

"I have a lot of respect for New Mexico fans because of the environment here and their huge support for women's basketball, but I thought that was the most classless thing ever," Paris said.

[labcoatguy]

But whenever the Lobos threatened to make an extended run, Oklahoma simply went to Paris. Using her strength and a nifty drop step, the freshman scored inside again and again, helping the Sooners maintain a comfortable lead until the closing minutes.


It sounds like OU was using Courtney Paris in the second half in a strategy very similar to how Michigan State used Liz Shimek in the second half of that game in Norman.

[Row6Seat10]

If it's true I hope the jerk gets banned from the PitI read that also and I hope you're right about the jerk getting banned. The jerk needs jail time I or a heafty fine. I would think it would be sort of hard to keep the jerk from coming back to other games if the jerk would have someone else buy the ticket. :mad:

Good win for OU thou!

[swok34]

How would a fan have a basketball? I read that in one of the AP articles.
I think this may be the first double double in Chelsi's history. I saw her penetrating the lane more in pickup games and thought maybe she had picked up this piece of her game, then haven't seen it this season.

She's too talented a free throw shooter to NOT drive the lane and take her chances.

Good tuneup for the start of Big XII play and the raccous folks at the Hilton.
Maybe we'll actually win a game there. :cool:

[TTU79]

Was it one of those small keepsake basketballs? In any case, Paris was right it was a totally classless act.

[swok34]

Could we have duct taped Judy and Jana together to match the size of Paris?

This was a quote from the Lobo Board. :D

[BearLady]

Home cooking must have been the perfect RX for Chelsi!

I listened to most of the first half of the game and she was on fire from the opening tip! Maybe that will work wonders on her confidence.

As for Ms C Paris, well, I think she was very restrained in her description of the Logo's fan action. Even over the airwaves, I could hear the fans coming through loud and clear. To resort to violent action against an opposing player deserves more than merely being banned from The Pit!

[Jennifer]

I wonder what play they are reacting to? :)

http://sooner.nmn.speedera.net/pics10/400/HX/HXXLIYWNPKPEYXV.20051231051454.jpg

[Jimi]

Whatever it was the young lady seated in the lower left part of the picture with her head on her hand was less excited than the OU team. :D

[YCN]

Whatever got into our team, I like it. We played so absymally badly in the two previous games that I really didn't expect this type of performance.

We need to capture the essence of the win and put it in a bottle, to be used only when we need to rediscover the magic of good basketball. New Mexico didn't know what hit them.

The fact that we won at The Pit twice in a single season will play huge dividends down the road for this team, like a totem we can hold and cherish to provide us the courage to traverse a harrowing Big 12 journey.

[swok34]

I don't know the play, but I wonder if Laura Andrews has ever jumped that high in her life :D

Good article:
http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/37088.html

[vickie1ok]

"Einstein, I'm not. But I'm not stupid." Sherri Coale (answering a question about starting Chelsi against the Cyclones) :D

I have to give it up to Lobo fans, sans the criminal who hit CP with a bball. They were loud even when their team was in the "pits", pun intended. They did a fabulous job.

Welcome back Chelsi.

[Peaceplease]

"Einstein, I'm not. But I'm not stupid." Sherri Coale (answering a question about starting Chelsi against the Cyclones) :D

I have to give it up to Lobo fans, sans the criminal who hit CP with a bball. They were loud even when their team was in the "pits", pun intended. They did a fabulous job.

Welcome back Chelsi.

i agree about their fans.......they stayed in the game........pretty impressive

and welcome back chels.....her stats say 4 for l3 but take away the five (maybe 6 but i think 5) that she was fouled on and made her free shots and she shot 4 of 8.......and one miss was rebounding and going up under the basket......maybe she should have thrown it back out, but not being able to see the game....who knows......

sure would have been fun to see that game on tv or even the internet..........especially for me, since i am a huge fan of chelsi..........

[35TangoTango]

and welcome back chels.....her stats say 4 for l3 but take away the five (maybe 6 but i think 5) that she was fouled on and made her free shots and she shot 4 of 8.......
sure would have been fun to see that game on tv or even the internet..........especially for me, since i am a huge fan of chelsi..........

I'm a huge fan of Chelsi also, but the times she was fouled aren't counted as misses. Even though her percentage wasn't great, she created the action that made things happen. I think a lot of her misses came in the second half when she was shooting from outside more and penetrating less with Courtney under the basket.

[Peaceplease]

I'm a huge fan of Chelsi also, but the times she was fouled aren't counted as misses. Even though her percentage wasn't great, she created the action that made things happen. I think a lot of her misses came in the second half when she was shooting from outside more and penetrating less with Courtney under the basket.


soonerman.........really........if you attempt a shot and are fouled in the process, it is not counted among your attempted shots............i didn't know that............i have been watching bball forever and somehow never clued in on that........thanks.............(oh, and though a watcher....not a student of the game.........just thought i knew the rules.......oh well.... :rolleyes: )

.i missed some of the game because i was staying with my mother and i had to help her with her meds, etc.....anyway, thought chelsi went one for four in the second half...with one miss being a three pointer............however, one for four is not a great stat................but agree with your comment about creating action...............

it will be great when the team developes a chemistry that allows all to contribute when cp is in and it is not so much on her shoulders.........courtney will be even better then..........i guess that's possible........ :) for cp to be better that is