Schreiber, Carey lead Horns to 7th straight win

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) -- Texas has put together another

convincing claim to the nation's top ranking. Now, its up to the

voters.

Heather Schreiber scored 19 points and Jamie Carey had 13 to

lead Texas (No. 4 ESPN/USA Today, No. 3 AP) to a methodical 75-52 rout of Oklahoma State on

Saturday. The Longhorns also moved to the brink of their first No.

1 ranking in more than 17 years.

"We've been leapfrogged a couple of times," Texas coach Jody

Conradt said. "We beat Tennessee and Duke early and people have

forgotten that. It's always been about what you have done for me

lately in the polls."

Texas (21-2, 9-1 Big 12) won its seventh straight and extended

its conference lead over No. 11 Colorado to a game.

The Longhorns, who haven't been ranked No. 1 since December

1987, could become the nation's top-ranked team following losses

earlier this week by No. 1 Tennessee and No. 2 Duke.

"I think we're the best team in the nation," guard Nina Norman

said.

However, fourth-ranked Connecticut is a traditional voters'

favorite and could move past Texas on the strength of its

impressive 14-point win over the Vols earlier in the week.

Oklahoma State coach Julie Goodenough had no doubt which team

should be in the top spot.

"I would vote for Texas," Goodenough said. "I've played

against them twice already and they're worthy. They beat Duke and

Tennessee -- that's enough to be No. 1 in the country."

The defending Big 12 champs looked every bit the part of a No. 1

contender in routing Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State (8-13, 3-7) ranks at the bottom of the conference

in the most important categories: scoring, scoring defense,

turnover margin and assist-to-turnover ratio.

The more talented and tenacious Longhorns had little trouble

putting this one away -- even with subpar games by their dominant

inside duo of freshman Tiffany Jackson and senior star Stacy

Stephens.

Texas went on a 17-3 run late in the first half en route to a

33-26 lead at the break, aided by a nearly five-minute scoreless

drought by Oklahoma State.

Early in the second half, the Longhorns had a 15-2 spurt. Texas

led by as many as 26 points in the game's final minutes.

Oklahoma State was determined to make things tough on Jackson

and Stephens, though, double- and triple-teaming them every time

the ball came into the paint. The Cowgirls' collapsing defense left

plenty of open looks for Schreiber and Carey.

Stephens had 10 points and eight rebounds, while Jackson scored

seven points on 2-for-8 shooting with seven rebounds.

"Our post people have been having a field day lately, so I'm

not surprised they struggled a little today," Conradt said.

"We're a versatile team and we have to find another way to win

sometimes."

Oklahoma State forward Trisha Skibbe, the Big 12's scoring

leader, had 15 points and six rebounds.

An example of the Cowgirls' offensive futility: they missed a

combined six shots on two possessions late in the second half, with

four of them coming right around the basket.

Oklahoma State had more turnovers (24) than baskets (16), and

shot just 31 percent.

"They were just too physical and too strong," Cowgirls guard

Nina Stone said. "There's not much we could do."