Montgomery, No. 1 UConn have little trouble with No. 4 Oklahoma

STORRS, Conn. -- Geno Auriemma has coached some of the best college players ever. He couldn't remember any of them having a better game than Renee Montgomery.

Montgomery had a career-high 30 points and matched the Connecticut record with 13 assists to help the top-ranked Huskies rout No. 4 Oklahoma 106-78 on Sunday night.

"I'd have to go back and look it up," Auriemma said. "I don't think I can remember anyone playing as well as she did. I don't know the total stats, but she accounted for half of our points."

Montgomery, who got the first double-double of her career, tied the assists record set by Laura Lishness in 1991 against Seton Hall.

Maya Moore added 27 points and 12 rebounds and Tina Charles had 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for UConn (5-0). Freshman Caroline Doty scored a career-high 18 points, going 6-for-6 from behind the 3-point line.

"When everyone is on like that, you feel like you can do anything," Moore said. "It's just a great feeling to be in that zone as a team and not just have one player be that way, because it's definitely contagious."

Danielle Robinson had 19 points and Ashley Paris added 17 points and 13 rebounds for Oklahoma (4-2). Courtney Paris had 14 points and 14 rebounds for her 98th straight double-double, extending her NCAA record.

It was the first time Oklahoma gave up over 100 points since losing to Connecticut, 102-80, in the NCAA regionals in 2000.

"Every time I caught the ball I was looking up the court trying to see who was running, see who had a lane, or try to take it to the lane," Montgomery said. "I just think trying to see whatever could open up, but just trying to push the ball at all times."

Connecticut cruised through its first four games, winning by an average of 38 points over Georgia Tech, Rhode Island, San Diego State, and BYU. None of those teams were able to matchup with UConn.

With the exception for the last 3 1/2 minutes of the first half, Oklahoma was no match either.

"I told Geno after the game that if they play like that and shoot like that they might win the men's championship," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.

UConn shot 55 percent from the field, including hitting 12-of-23 from behind the arc.

"This is the best we've ever played against them and we still were down 25 points," Coale said. "I don't think I've ever seen them better than they were tonight."

The Huskies led 59-50 early in the second half before going on a 24-9 run to put the game away. Montgomery had nine points during the spurt, including a jumper in the lane to cap the run.

Inside and out, Connecticut was too much for Oklahoma.

Leading 20-17, the Huskies took over, going on a 28-9 run over the next 10 minutes. Doty, who hit four 3-pointers in the first half, capped the spurt with a 3 with 3:39 left that gave Connecticut a 48-26 lead. Just when it looked like UConn would run Oklahoma out of Gampel Pavilion, the Sooners closed the half with a 13-2 run. Ashley Paris' three-point play with 14 seconds left made it 50-39.

Courtney Paris was held scoreless in the first half -- going 0-for-7 from the field -- for the first time since Dec. 10, 2005, against Missouri State. She got her first basket just over a minute into the second half.

It's rare for a visitor to win at Connecticut. The Huskies are 86-2 in their last 88 games at Gampel.

Oklahoma's other loss this season was an 80-79 defeat by North Carolina in the Preseason WNIT championship game last Sunday.

"I don't think North Carolina and UConn are really close," Coale said. "Maybe North Carolina had a bad night and UConn had a good night, but there's a chasm between them."