OUsted

A&M women's defense holds down OU

By: Todd Heath

Posted: 1/29/07

Texas A&M forward Danielle Gant reached out to block Oklahoma Sooner Kendra Moore's 3-pointer as time expired in Saturday's game in Norman. Gant deflected the ball, the buzzer sounded, and the No. 21 Aggies snapped No. 6 Oklahoma's 24-game winning streak against Big 12 opponents with a 54-52 win.

On the A&M squad, Morenike Atunrase had 18 points in 28 minutes, while Takia Starks and A'Quonesia Franklin combined for 24, but A&M's defense should be credited for the victory. The Aggies held All-American Courtney Paris to a season low of 12 points, forced 28 turnovers and held off a furious rally by the Sooners in front of 11,486 hostile fans.

"We are a defensive-minded team," said A&M head coach Gary Blair. "As you can see in the first half, I thought we were getting beat by 25 and we were down by 6. We played enough defense to make up for our poor shots. In the second half, we made some big time shots."

The Aggies focused on stopping Paris, which led to turnovers as OU tried to force the ball to their top scorer. Even though Paris shot a season low of 33 percent, she still had six blocks and 20 rebounds.

"We played solid defense and if she (Paris) doesn't touch it, she can't score," said A&M junior La Toya Micheaux. "We (Micheaux and Paris) were going down the court and both of us were huffing. It was tough to rebound, and I was just trying to box her out. It was a battle and she's a great player."

The Sooners, who were previously undefeated in Big 12 play, scored a season low 52 points. They remain in first place, with A&M, Baylor and Nebraska tied for second.

"We didn't respond very well to the physical play," said Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale. "When you turn it over every other possession, you're never going to get in a rhythm."

The win gives the Aggies their third win against a top 25 team in their past four tries this season. However, the Oklahoma win is only the first time this season that A&M has beaten a higher ranked team.

"I'm not here to win these types of games," Blair said. "That comes with the territory. This isn't my first rodeo. We're here to win championships, and that's what A&M is all about and that is why Bill Byrne hired me. There are a lot of coaches who can win ball games. It puts us with national credibility, since people have said we have been overrated all year."