No. 4 Oklahoma 81, Nebraska 47

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ Clinching a tie for a third straight Big 12 title wasn't exactly a cause for No. 4 Oklahoma to celebrate. <br><br>Coach Sherri Coale said there's still too much work ahead.

Sunday, February 17th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) _ Clinching a tie for a third straight Big 12 title wasn't exactly a cause for No. 4 Oklahoma to celebrate.

Coach Sherri Coale said there's still too much work ahead.

``We're emphasizing getting better, every single day getting a little bit better and moving in that crescendo we need to be going into when playoff time comes around,'' she said Saturday after an 81-47 victory over Nebraska.

The Sooners (22-2, 12-1) have three regular-season games remaining, and a victory in any of those would give them their second straight outright title. Oklahoma shared the league championship in 1999-00.

Jamie Talbert and Caton Hill each had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Sooners, who won their eighth straight. Stacey Dales added 14 points and eight assists, and LaNeishea Caufield scored 10.

Alexa Johnson scored 14 for Nebraska (14-12, 4-9), which shot just 32 percent and committed 22 turnovers. The Huskers played without starters Katie Robinette and Stephanie Jones, who were suspended for one game for an undisclosed reason.

Talbert had scored in double figures just twice in the previous 14 games, but started quickly by scoring Oklahoma's first three baskets. She had eight points and five rebounds at halftime and continued her strong play in the second half.

``All week in practice we've been working on posting up harder than we have all year,'' Talbert said. ``They were playing behind us, and the guards did a great job of recognizing that and got it into us.''

Oklahoma took control of the game by holding Nebraska scoreless for the final 6:12 of the first half and the first 2:37 of the second. The Sooners outscored the Huskers 17-0 during that time to take a 42-24 lead and Nebraska got no closer than 16 the rest of the way.

The Huskers led 19-18 after a jumper by Keasha Cannon with 9:29 left before halftime, then made only one basket after that.

Dales made a 3-pointer, a layup on a fast break and a jumper in the lane to turn the 19-18 deficit into a 25-19 lead. The Huskers made it a one-point game on a three-point play by Shannon Howell and a jumper by Johnson with 6:12 remaining.

Oklahoma got baskets from five players to outscore Nebraska 11-0 and take a 36-24 lead at halftime. Nebraska committed six turnovers and missed three shots in the final six minutes.

``We were very much in the game until they went on a big run to end the half,'' coach Paul Sanderford said. ``After that we looked tired. We struggled quite a bit.''

Hill, Dales and Talbert each scored to open the second half before Nebraska finally stopped the run with a basket by Johnson at the 17:23 mark.