Lights out for Oklahoma

Mississippi is going to the Dayton Regional final, and Courtney Paris is going home.

Armintie Price scored 31 points and gymnast-turned-basketball-player Ashley Awkward added 25 for Ole Miss, which fastbreaked and trapped its way to a 90-82 victory over Oklahoma on Sunday in the regional final.

Paris led Oklahoma (28-5) with 31 points and 20 rebounds.

“When we started off we were playing at a super-fast speed -- faster than we like to play,” Paris said. “If I wanted to play that fast, I would have gone to Mississippi.”

Making the pace’s toll tougher was the heat in the arena, which rose to 90 degrees with no relief from air-conditioning.

Averaging 18 turnovers a game, the Sooners had 15 by halftime and finished with 26. The Rebels piled up 16 steals.

Tennessee 65, Marist 46 -- Candace Parker made her first eight shots and the top-seeded Lady Vols (31-3) used a 14-0 first-half run to take control at Dayton, ending the surprising run by 13th-seeded Marist (29-6).

“Bringing the pressure in the first half might have been key for us,” Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt said.

DALLAS REGIONAL

Purdue 78, Georgia 65 -- Katie Gearlds had 30 points and nine rebounds to help the Boilermakers (31-5) overcome a big early deficit and advance to the regional final. For the fourth time in the last five seasons, the Bulldogs (27-7) ended their season with a loss in the round of 16.

Asked about measuring success, Gearlds said: “I am going to quote what Peyton Manning said and say that I am not going to get into that subject right now. I don’t have a monkey on my back. It is all about this team, and we have worked so hard.”

Boilermakers starting guard Jodi Howell had her left shoulder in a sling after the game. Purdue said the extent of her injury wasn’t clear.

North Carolina 70, George Washington 56 -- Once pesky defender Whitney Allen landed on the bench midway through the first half with foul trouble, the Tar Heels (33-3) had little trouble with the Colonials (28-4) in the regional semifinal.

At halftime, North Carolina forward Erlana Larkins had as many assists as the Colonials team, six each.