OU(women) 74, SW Missouri St 71

Sunday, December 12th 2004, 3:44 pm

By: News On 6

Southwest Missouri State got a career-high 34 points Saturday from senior Jenni Lingor and 6 minutes from junior Kari Koch â€” her first action this season. But that was not enough as the Bears fell 74-71 at Oklahoma.

Koch, the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year last season, had missed the Bears' first six games with a sprained knee. She entered the game early in the second half and made the only two shots she took, a two-pointer and a three-pointer.

Lingor, who nearly had a triple-double against Missouri on Wednesday, was 12 of 22 from the field and five of six from the line against the Sooners.

Lingor also had seven assists and five rebounds.

â€œShe is a great player that will get a lot of recognition, and she should,â€ Southwest Missouri coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said of Lingor.

â€œI really respect what she is doing out there.â€

Sophomore Leah Rush led Oklahoma, 5-3, with 25 points and 12 rebounds. Chelsi Welch had 16 points, Laura Andrews 13 and Dionnah Jackson 11 for the Sooners.

â€œWe've been guarding people and rebounding well, but we just haven't been making baskets,â€ Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. â€œWe made baskets tonight, and we won.â€

Southwest Missouri, 4-3, next faces No. 1 Louisiana State in Springfield on Saturday.