Quick Start Gives OU 84-61 Win Over Buffs

NORMAN, Okla. - Courtney Paris had 17 points and 17 rebounds as No. 18/16 Oklahoma used a strong first half to defeat Colorado 84-61 in a Big 12 Conference game Saturday afternoon at the Lloyd Noble Center.

Colorado falls to 5-9 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12, dropping its fourth straight overall to Oklahoma. The Sooners climb to 12-3 overall and remain unbeaten in league play at 2-0.

Oklahoma, the top rebounding team in the Big 12, showed why in the first half. The Sooners had more offensive rebounds in the first period (13) than the Buffaloes had total as OU held an overall margin of 27-12. Paris had 10 of those first half rebounds to go along with nine points. Twin sister Ashley Paris had seven rebounds and was one of nine Sooners to score in the first half as OU ran out to a 22-9 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game en route to building a 50-29 halftime lead.

CU shot 38.5 percent overall in the first half (10-of-26) and Oklahoma held the Buffs' leading scorer and rebounder Jackie McFarland to three points and no boards in the first 20 minutes.

Colorado played nearly even with the Sooners in the second half and cut the OU lead to 68-51 with just over six minutes remaining.

More than 50 percent of Colorado's scoring came off the bench in Saturday's game. Senior guard Whitney Law scored 14 points in her most extended action since a sprained ankle that forced her to miss two of the last three games. Freshman guard Hannah Skildum had a career high 12 points on 5-of-10 from the field and four assists.

Colorado junior Jasmina Ilic had 11 points to lead the CU starters.

Colorado will return home to host the University of Kansas on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m. in the Coors Events Conference Center. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net-Rocky Mountain.