Oklahoma State Cowgirls Get It Done - Win No. 20 With a Little Help From Each Other

STILLWATER – It didn’t go all Oklahoma State’s way. Lately, the Cowgirls have been taking control in the first quarter and just pushing their advantage as they’ve won six-of-their-last-seven games. This wasn’t as definitive early on. Oklahoma State needed help off the bench and they got it. They also shared the basketball a lot as they had 15 assists on 31 made baskets. Defense, sharing, bench play and Oklahoma State won 83-64 over Arizona. The Cowgirls are now 20-4 on the season and they stay in fourth in the Big 12 at 10-3 and right behind the top teams in the league. Kansas State, TCU, and Baylor are all 11-2 and tied for first. What do those three teams have  in common? They all have lost to the Cowgirls.

Speaking of help, the Cowgirls had an early lead in the first quarter but Arizona’s Skyler Jones hits a deep three from the left wing to tie the game at 10-10. Then next time down the floor, Jones drove to the basket and passed it across the lane to Isia Beh for the bank shot inside and Arizona led 12-10. The Wildcats went on a 7-0 run and led 14-10 before the Cowgirls countered. Anna Gret Asi broke up the run with a post move, series of post moves, head fakes, shot fakes and she finally got the basket. It was Stailee Heard, who finished with 17 points and nine rebounds with a run through off a steal on the other end and it was 16-16 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter the Cowgirls got it going. Asi had a step through dribble and found Heard on the other end near the basket at the baseline. The Cowgirls weren’t hitting from three-point range like they normally do, but they were good around the rim. 

Asi did it again as she had four of the Cowgirls assists and she found Praise Egharevba, the 6-3 redshirt sophomore from Germany who stopped and hit the shot for a 21-19 lead. Egharevba had nine rebounds and no points on Saturday in the route over K-State. Tonight she had 10 points with five boards off the bench. The bench is good for head coach Jacie Hoyt and her team.

“Our depth has been a strength of ours. They (Arizona) looked a little tired and we feel that some teams can play with us for a half but not an entire game,” Hoyt said of how the Cowgirls kept coming. “We played fast and got after them in the third quarter. I thought defensively we were much better in the second half and that led to the easy run outs.”

“I’m an energizer. When I come in, I want to bring the energy. It is not negotiable. I have to being the energy every time I come in,” said the native of Papenburg, Germany. “All through the game, offense, defense, and I feel if I do that, bring the energy then everybody will bring it too.”

Another player off the bench good for the Cowgirls was Jadyn Wooten as she had five assists and five points. Wooten caught a football inbounds pass and scored and was fouled to push the lead to 28-19. Just before the half, leading scorer for Oklahoma State, Micah Gray with 20, scored a one-hander on the drive and was fouled for the and one. Oklahoma State led 37-29 at the half.

At the start of the second half, Heard drove and was fouled by Breya Cunningham and the lead was 40-29. The third quarter was massive with OSU winning the fram 27-15. Toward the end of the period Wooten threw the ball into Praise Egharevba for the bucket and the foul and a 64-44 lead. 

Oklahoma State Athletics

Lots of juice off the bench vs. Arizona.

The fourth quarter was a 10 minute waiting period to sing the alma mater and celebrate win No. 20 on the season. Praise was full of praise for her team and her teammates.

“Yes, especially because of the other people I’m playing with,” she said. “I love this team. I’m not the only one bringing the energy I think everbody is bringing the energy.”

She’s right. Oklahoma State outshot Arizona 50 percent to 46 percent, outrebounded the Wildcats 37-28, and had just 12 turnovers to 16 for Arizona. The Wildcats are a good team falling to 15-12 and 6-7 in the Big 12. 

Oklahoma State has a tough two game road swing to Utah starting on Saturday at BYU (12-11/3-9) and then next Tuesday at Utah (19-5/10-3).