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Sooners Unable To Contain Vols' Parker

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By KATHERINE SMITH, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 16, 2007

Updated: 11/16/2007 12:44 am

TAMPA - Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale compared containing Tennessee's Candace Parker to trying to catch a wild bird.

The Sooners weren't able to cage the Lady Vols junior forward and fell 70-67 to top-ranked Tennessee in the second part of the ESPNU Women's Basketball Invitational at the St. Pete Times Forum. Parker led Tennessee with a game-high 28 points and 15 rebounds.

"I think the fans got their money's worth," UT coach Pat Head Summitt said. "Hopefully that will generate some excitement for the Final Four. We hope to be back here."

Coale said: "I'd like another shot at them. We're going to be just fine. We're young and we made a lot of mistakes at crucial times. By the end of the season I don't think we'll be making those mistakes. This is a tough one but we'll go on and get better."

The much-anticipated matchup between Parker and Oklahoma's Courtney Paris finally occurred. On the court together for the first time, Parker won the tip-off, but Paris put on the early show.

Last season's Player of the Year scored Oklahoma's first seven points as the Sooners took the early lead. Oklahoma went on a 9-0 run early in the first half, led by Paris, but it was Parker that ended the run with back-to-back jumpers to pull the Lady Vols within four.

The preseason Player of the Year scored style points and tied the game at 18 with a between-the-legs fadeaway jumper with a little more than five minutes left in the first half. Soon after, Paris was called for a charge, her third foul, and left the game for the remainder of the first half. She was tended to on the bench for a bloody nose.

Oklahoma sophomore guard Jenna Plumley put the Sooners up by two with a 3-pointer with a little more than two minutes left in the half. Tennessee senior guard Shannon Bobbitt countered with her own 3-point shot.

Parker took over just before the end of the first half to extend Tennessee's lead. She was fouled attempting a 3-point shot with 0.6 seconds left in the first half. Parker made two of her three free-throw attempts to give the Lady Vols a 32-29 lead.

Paris returned in the second half to help lead the Sooners on a 6-0 run that gave Oklahoma an early second-half lead.

With 18 first-half points, Parker was on pace to better her career high of 34 she scored against Florida last year. But she remained scoreless in the second half until the 14:14 mark when she made a layup to pull the Lady Vols within one. Bobbitt hit her fourth 3-pointer for a Tennessee 48-47 lead with 13 minutes left in the game.

Oklahoma threatened to regain the lead with more than eight minutes left when it went on a 5-0 run, led by freshman guard Danielle Robinson's two free throws and a layup.

But Bobbitt and Parker continually kept Tennessee ahead. Bobbitt ended the game with a career-high 27 points, 22 of which came in the second half.

A late 8-0 run by Oklahoma tied the game at 65. Parker again put the Vols ahead with a free throw with 50 seconds left. Oklahoma then took the lead with 26 seconds left when Paris, who extended her double-double streak to 63 consecutive games when she grabbed her 10th rebound at the 6:55 mark, hit a layup.

Paris ended the game with 21 points and 16 rebounds.

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860 or ksmith@tampatrib.com.

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