The fine-tuned, Paris powered machine formerly known as the Oklahoma Sooners capped off Big 12 play by doing something they have done 17 times in a row: win. The Big 12 regular season champions became tournament champions Saturday night by beating the defending national champions 72-61 for the team's third tournament title this decade.

"I'm so proud of our kids, I really thought they competed together and showed their unity throughout that 40 minutes," Sherri Coale said. I'm most proud of our poise."

Baylor hung around throughout the game, but just couldn't find an answer for freshman phenom Courtney Paris, who was named MVP of the tournament. Paris pulled down a tournament record 26 rebounds, to go along with 24 points. In the quarterfinals against Iowas State, she set the tournament scoring record with 36 points. The walking double-double sucked the life out of the Bears with her latest supersized performance, her 25th straight double dip of the season. Paris is on the edge of becoming the first player in the history of women's college basketball to collect 700 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks.

"Nobody can guard this kid," Leah Rush said. "It's just ridiculous."

Baylor had no answer for Paris, so they began intentionally fouling her late in the game, in an effort to gain ground on OU at the expense of a 47 percent foul shooter. The 6-4 center responded by emphatically swishing four straight to end any thought of a comeback. Prior to those clutch hits from the charity stripe, Paris was only 2-11 from the line.

"I like making them at the very end," Paris said. "Finally I was able to sink them and that's the greatest feeling in the world."

OU took a four point lead to the break, despite committing 19 first half turnovers. The Sooners were helped out from a meager shooting performance from the Bears, who went 8-42 in the first half. Baylor went on to shoot 25 percent for the game, while OU went on to commit 13 more turnovers.

"I do realize that we probably set the game back about 15 years by our turnovers, but to win in spite of that, you throw them the ball 32 times and you're still able to win, there must be some other things you're doing well," Coale said.

On this night, it was outside shooting that the Sooners did well. Or at least one Sooner in particular. Erin Higgins knocked down five 3-pointers, many of them from NBA range, to finish the game with 15 points. Brittany Brown and Leah Rush also added double figures for the eighth ranked Sooners. Rush also held Big 12 Player of the Year Sophia Young to just 15 points. In her previous two tournament games, the senior forward scored 35 and 29.

"She's a great players, and the only way you can do anything on her is to prevent her from catching the ball," Rush said. "It was just a team effort there."

After sweeping the regular season and the conference tournament, OU may have made a strong case for a number one seed for the NCAA tournament. The Sooners haven't lost in over two months and have only dropped four games all season, three coming at the hands of top 15 teams.

"In my gut I think they will give us a 2. I think if we can win this conference tournament and go undefeated in league play, you deserve a 1," Coale said. "But they didn't really ask me and I don't figure the will call. So we'll go play wherever they tell us to play."

OU will learn its fate on Monday when the selection committee announces the official NCAA tournament bracket. ESPN will do a live shot with Coale and Paris from the head coach's Norman residence.
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