Cowgirls Close In On Return to the Rankings with Win at Texas Tech

(This story originated with Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations but was contributed to by Pokes Report writer Robert Allen.)

LUBBOCK, Texas – Oklahoma State’s women’s basketball team ran its winning streak against Texas Tech to 11 in a row with a 71-68 win over the Lady Raiders on Saturday afternoon in front of 4,468 fans inside United Supermarkets Arena. The Cowgirls improved to 17-3 on the year and 7-2 in Big 12 play. Coupled with the upset earlier this week over No. 9 TCU, this win combined with that one should put Oklahoma State back in the top 25 polls. 

OSU got off to a hot start at the offensive end, hitting four of its first shots and taking its first lead of the game three and a half minutes into the contest at 8-7 on a layup by Micah Gray.

Stailee Heard buried a pair of 3-pointers to push the margin to 16-11 with two minutes to go. She would finished with 12 points in the frame and OSU would hold a five-point advantage.

Stacie Jones hit a pair of tough baskets midway through the second quarter to give OSU a 24-17 lead with 4:55 to go.

Macey Huard tacked on a pair of free throws with three minutes left in the quarter to push the Cowgirl lead to 28-19.

Heard it a layup to push the margin to double digits at 34-23 before Tech answered with the final bucket of the half. She would finish the first 20 minutes with 16 points, while OSU shot 56 percent from the floor.

In the third, the Lady Raiders got within six on two occasions in the first three minutes before the Cowgirls would answer. A pair of Ténin Magassa free throws pushed the margin back to double figures and Heard added a layup to extend the margin to 46-34 with five minutes left in the quarter. 

Gray would bury a trey from the corner two minutes later to extend to a 52-37 lead for OSU.

Tech used a 6-0 run to get within single digits before Gray hit another trey from the wing to extend the margin to 55-43. OSU would take a 59-45 lead into the final 10 minutes.

Tech would score seven of the first nine in the fourth to get within 61-52 with 8:18 to go and force a Cowgirl timeout. The Lady Raiders would extend to a 16-2 run to get within two at 63-61 with five minutes to go.

The Lady Raiders got a layup with two minutes to go before Alexia Smith answered with two free throws to make it a 66-63 lead. Heard hit a pair of free throws with 28 seconds to go to match her career high with 32 points and give OSU a 69-65 advantage. She would add two more free throws to extend the margin to six.

The Cowgirls will return home on Wednesday to host Arizona State at 6:30 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.