No. 20 Oklahoma 107, Oral Roberts 76

12/3/2005 5:06 PM

By JEFF LATZKE
AP Sports Writer

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) - Erin Higgins scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half to help Oklahoma pull away for a 107-76 win against Oral Roberts at the Bertha Teague Classic on Saturday.

Coming out of a timeout called by Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale, Higgins sparked a 20-3 run with a 3-pointer from the left wing.

After Beky Preston scored inside, Higgins added another 3-pointer from the left wing, then drove the lane and found Ashley Paris underneath the basket. Paris missed the basket, but got the rebound for a score.

The next trip down, Higgins set up Kendra Moore's fast-break layup to stretch Oklahoma's lead to 69-54. Leah Rush added a jumper, Preston made a free throw and Rush's 3-pointer from the left corner put Oklahoma (7-1) up by 21 points.

Oklahoma kept distancing itself, going up 88-60 after Chelsi Welch's two free throws capped a 13-2 run that included yet another Higgins 3-pointer.

Oklahoma's 107 points were its most in a game since a 113-72 win against Baylor on Dec. 30, 1991.

Rachel Balzer scored 20 to lead Oral Roberts, which made the NCAA tournament last season as the Mid-Continent Conference champion.

Higgins finished 4-for-6 from 3-point range and passed Carin Stites to move into second place on Oklahoma's all-time 3-point shooting list. Only Etta Maytubby (174) has made more 3-pointers for Oklahoma than Higgins (154).

After Oral Roberts (3-2) trimmed Oklahoma's 13-point first half lead to 47-45 on its opening possession of the second half, Courtney Paris scored the Sooners' first five points of the half to restore a five-point lead. But on the Golden Eagles' next possession, the Sooners' leading scorer and rebounder picked up her fourth foul going for a rebound with 17:26 left.

Higgins' 3-pointer gave Oklahoma a 55-49 lead, but Coale called for a timeout after her team allowed Alycia Seay to score an easy transition layup after Higgins' made basket.

She waited for her team with her hands on her hips, then ripped into a finger-pointing session to get her players back on track.

Once the rest of the timeout was finished, Higgins continued the huddle with the four other players on the court, then sparked Sooners' rally.

Courtney Paris, who played only three minutes in the second half before fouling out, finished with 19 points, Rush scored 16 and Ashley Paris added 15 for Oklahoma, which has won 18 in a row against Oral Roberts after losing 14 of the first 17 games in the series.