Oklahoma State Cowgirls Set Another Record in Win

STILLWATER- There were no finals week blues for the Cowgirls.

Oklahoma State beat Mississippi Valley State 133-46 on Saturday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowgirls improved to 10-1 with the win and also set the program record for most points in a game.

“Just a really complete win today,” coach Jacie Hoyt said. “Today you got to see everyone firing on all cylinders and because of that we made history.”

The Cowgirls scored 44 points in the second quarter, its most this season. It was the second time this season that the Cowgirls have set a new program record for points in a quarter.

“I would like to see us have more urgency in the first quarter, so that we don’t have to rely on bouncing back in the second,” Hoyt said. “We still need to have better starts.”

The Cowgirls offense was able to score from anywhere it wanted, shooting 48 percent from three, to go with 67 percent overall.

“When you shoot as many threes as we do that’s just going to happen,” Hoyt said. “We understand that you aren’t always going to shoot the way you want and we just have to find a way to keep getting the scorers involved.

Stailee Heard led the Cowgirls in scoring with 26 points. She was one of seven Cowgirls to finish in double-figures, and 11 total who made at least one basket.

“How we practice is how we play every day,” guard Jadyn Wooten said. “We fall back on what we do in practice, and every day we do the same things.”

Oklahoma State benefited from a mismatch defensively, accounting for 58 points in the paint to complement the three-point shooting.

“It is pick your poison,” Hoyt said. “If you take away the three point line we still feel like we can score in the paint. It’s really just whatever it takes to win.”

The Cowgirls once again distributed the ball well. The team finished with 29 assists on 45 made baskets.

“Everyone is just buying into their roles,” Hoyt said. “We have the selflessness of this team, and the willingness to share the ball.”

Defensively the Cowgirls forced 29 turnovers and held the Devilettes to 29 percent shooting.

“Everything falls back on the depth of this team,” Hoyt said. “The key is just really challenging our kids to get after it and empty their tank every time they are on the floor, knowing that they are going to have a sub come in and relieve them.”

The game served as the final test before a bedlam showdown in Oklahoma City next week and gave the players valuable minutes to stay sharp ahead of the clash with the Sooners.

“We are very confident, and we should be,” Wooten said. “This team has so many weapons that that we have every right to be confident and keep doing the things that we need to do to prepare for that.”