Clay Horning
• Paris twins lead OU against Iowa in Bay Area tourney
The Oklahoma women have already spent their Thanksgiving on the road. However, two of them were able to spend it at home. Perhaps that’s best, because two happy Paris twins will forever be to the Sooners’ advantage.
From Piedmont, Calif., Courtney and Ashley Paris are back in the Bay Area and tonight, at 7, not too far from home, will lead OU into the Odwalla Classic.
The Sooners meet Iowa in the first round and, should they prevail, will play the winner of host San Francisco’s and Ryder’s first-round matchup Saturday.
Indeed, there’s reason to believe the Paris twins might just be the difference.
A year ago, the Sooners endured their worst shooting night of the season against the Hawkeyes at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.
Iowa won that game 54-47 and the wonder of it might have been OU’s ability to hang within seven points on the same day it made just 23.9 percent (16 of 67) from the field. Part of the problem was the Sooners attempted almost 40 percent of their shots from beyond the 3-point arc, where they hit just 4 of 25.
However, thanks to the twins, and Courtney in particular, the Sooners bring a threat in the paint not present last season or, perhaps, any season.
Even against Connecticut, OU’s loss this season, where the Huskies collapsed into double- and triple-teams whenever the ball reached the lane, Courtney Paris finished with 19 points and six rebounds and Ashley Paris finished with nine points and five rebounds.
The sisters combined to make 12 of 19 shots. Meanwhile, not under near the same pressure, Sooner guards combined to make just 2 of 21 from beyond the arc.
Iowa will likely employ a similar strategy. But at 1-1 and unranked, the Hawkeyes are hardly Connecticut.
Courtney Paris has a believer in Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma.
“Courtney is not getting a lot of attention from the national media. All they want to do is talk about kids that can dunk,” he said.
“But right now she might be the best center in the country. She might be the best freshman out there right now.”
She’s averaging 22 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, while Ashley has been solid at 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
If the twins approach those averages and OU’s guards bounce back at all, the Sooners will likely find themselves playing in Saturday’s final.
Clay Horning366-3526cfhorning@normantranscript.com
