Oklahoma State Cowgirls Knock Off Texas

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State's women's basketball team battled its way to an 86-82 win over Texas on Saturday evening in front of 2.228 fans inside Gallagher-Iba Arena to register its first league victory under the direction of head coach Jacie Hoyt. The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Cowgirls, who improved to 11-4 overall and 1-2 in league play. The Longhorns dipped to 11-5 and 2-1.

Both teams got out of the gate quickly with the Cowgirls scoring 20 points in the first quarter while shooting 54 percent. However, OSU found itself trailing by six after Texas scored 26 points while connecting on 59 percent of its shots from the floor.

The Cowgirls exploded in the second stanza with a 29-point outburst while hitting 11 of their 18 shots from the floor, including a 6-of-10 effort from beyond the arc. During one stretch OSU hit nine consecutive shots during a 15-2 run to race out to a 45-36 lead.

Naomie Alnatas led the charge, scoring 12 points and dishing out four assists in the period and staking her squad to a 49-41 lead at the break.

The Cowgirls would continue with the hot hand in the third, hitting 50 percent of their shots to lead by 10 heading into the final frame.

Texas would claw back into the contest with a 12-0 run to knot the score at 72 apiece with 5:27 to play. OSU would answer with the next three points before the Longhorns would get an old-fashioned 3-point play to tie the contest once again with four minutes to go.

Clinging to a one-point lead with two minutes to play, Lexy Keys drilled her first 3-pointer of the contest to give OSU an 80-76 advantage. The trey was the 105th of her career, moving her into the top 10 on the school's career list.

Lior Garzon made four free throws in the final 14 seconds of the contest to seal the outcome.

OSU would shoot 52 percent for the game with Alnatas leading the way with 20 points and eight assists.

Garzon added 17 points, while Claire Chastain scored 12 and Anna Gret Asi finished with 10.