Texas win is 900th for Jody Conradt
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Jody Conradt doubled the membership of the most exclusive club in college basketball coaching.
Conradt became the second Division I coach to win 900 games as the Longhorns routed Missouri 70-57 on Tuesday night in the first round of the Big 12 Conference women's tournament.
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 - who entered the Big 12 tournament having lost six of their previous seven games - 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."
"The last thing on my mind is 900 wins," Conradt said. "I didn't even remember it, because with this team, you have to think about the next possession. That's all you can focus on.
"But obviously, this was a big win because it extended our season, because we keep playing."
Freshman Earnesia Williams - playing in her home state of Oklahoma - 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 week with an RPI of 31 and is hoping for an NCAA tournament bid despite its late-season slump. Besides the win over Oklahoma, the Longhorns also have beaten a pair of other top-15 teams in Purdue and Texas A&M.
"I think we feel an acute sense of urgency, especially me being a senior because it's my last go-around," Texas center Tiffany Jackson said.
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. The Tigers had lost 79-77 in overtime to Texas during the regular season and are 1-14 all-time against the Longhorns.
"She's an unbelievable coach," Missouri coach Cindy Stein said of Conradt. "Obviously, I wish she didn't have too many of those victories against us, but she's a great coach and a great asset to women's basketball."
EeTisha Riddle led Missouri with 20 points and added eight rebounds.
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
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