For a few brief seconds on Saturday, the hype, the accolades and all the publicity showered on Oklahoma senior Courtney Paris overwhelmed freshman forward Aishah Sutherland.

But, once the action began, the normalcy of any other game quickly replaced those feelings of mystification.

“You can’t have time to think about it,” Sutherland said. “You go in there and you better play. There’s not anything overwhelming, you just have to play.”

More than any statistic, that sentiment reflects Sutherland’s maturation process.

In the world of women’s college basketball, it doesn’t get much bigger — or better — than Paris, a two-time Big 12 Player of the Year and consensus first team All-American.

Three weeks ago, a younger, greener Sutherland may have balked at her ability to compete with Paris or any other top-tier player.

On Saturday night, though, Sutherland not only showed increasing confidence; she proved that she’s fully capable of competing against the best the Big 12 has to offer.

“Now, I just know what I can use against them and it’s easier,” Sutherland said. “It gets easier.”

So it appears.

In Kansas’ last four games, Sutherland averaged 7.5 points and eight rebounds while playing nearly 25 minutes a game. And she did so against a variety of players: Texas’ posts were long and athletic, while Colorado’s were big and bulky.

Still, not much compares — both physically and skill-wise — to Oklahoma’s frontcourt. Paris is joined by her sister, Ashley, who may be just as talented. Against two of the best post players the Big 12 has to offer, Sutherland scored six points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had a highlight-worthy block.

“She went at them; she wasn’t scared of them,” junior guard Sade Morris said. “There were times when she fell away from the shot, but she was like ‘Whatever, they’re post players just like me. I can go at them.’”

Yet Sutherland and coach Bonnie Henrickson were quick to point out that there was room for improvement.

Sutherland made just 2 of 10 attempts, including many near the basket.

“She’s a taker; I need her to be a maker,” Henrickson said. “She takes shots, but she doesn’t make a lot of shots because she alters them and shoots it just to shoot.

“When she sits down and is on-balance, she can make shots. I mean, she’s skilled. It’s not like she’s throwing a shot put up there.”

Indeed, Sutherland has demonstrated a smooth shooting touch. Late in the first half on Saturday, Sutherland received a pass on the baseline, squared to face the basket and calmly knocked down a mid-range jump shot.

For Henrickson, that’s the approach Sutherland must employ on every shot.

Part of correcting the problem is simply developing more confidence against the best teams and players in the conference.

But by playing more minutes — and contributing regularly in Kansas’ last six games — Sutherland seems to be building toward that point.

“That’s a good thing for our team,” junior forward Danielle McCray said. “She’s feeling better, she has to get better and she’s been committed to getting better.”

— — Edited by Brandy Entsminger