March 6, 2007

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Texas coach Jody Conradt became the second Division I coach with 900 career wins, leading the Longhorns to a 70-57 victory over Missouri in the first round of the Big 12 Conference women's tournament Tuesday night.

Conradt is 900-306 in 38 seasons - four at Sam Houston State, three at Texas-Arlington and 31 at Texas. Among Division I coaches - male or female - she trails only Pat Summitt of Tennessee, who has 941 wins entering the NCAA tournament.

After the game, the Longhorns surrounded Conradt in celebration as the milestone was announced over the public-address system at the Cox Convention Center. The Texas pep band followed with a rendition of "The Eyes of Texas."

Freshman Earnesia Williams - playing in her home state - scored 17 points to lead seventh-seeded Texas (18-13) into a quarterfinal contest Wednesday against second-seeded and 11th-ranked Oklahoma, a team with which the Longhorns split a pair of regular-season games.

Texas entered the Big 12 tournament having lost six of its previous seven games, but the Longhorns looked sharp from the opening tip, shooting a season-best 60.5 percent from the field in the first half.

Texas led 46-27 at the half and Missouri (17-13) - despite a brief rally to open the second half - came no closer than 10 the rest of the way.

EeTisha Riddle led Missouri with 20 points and added eight rebounds, but no other player for the Tigers reached double figures in scoring. Carlynn Savant had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers, who committed 22 turnovers.

Texas center Tiffany Jackson had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Brittainey Raven and Erneisha Bailey added 13 points each for the Longhorns. Bailey also had five of Texas' 14 steals.