Cowgirls Explain What Went Wrong in NCAA Tournament Loss

Oklahoma State’s season came to an end on Saturday, and some key areas led to its defeat.

OSU lost to South Dakota State 74-68 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Connecticut on Saturday afternoon. The Cowgirls held a lead as large as 11 in the second half but couldn’t manage to stay in front against a veteran Jackrabbits squad.

As Jacie Hoyt led the Cowgirls to their second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years, their struggles on the glass told the story of their first-round matchup. While center Tenin Magassa finished with eight blocks and was a monster for the Cowgirls on defense, OSU was in a unique position entering the game.

Magassa had suffered an injury that Hoyt said would keep any regular player out around three months. Yet, Magassa was able to be on the court after only a week and a half and delivered for the Cowgirls. However, her expected absence also led to less emphasis on crashing the glass and was a factor in OSU being outrebounded 47-29, which marked the largest rebounding discrepancy for the Cowgirls this season and was only the sixth time they lost the rebounding battle.

“At one point, we had no offensive rebounds; I think that speaks for itself,” OSU star Stailee Heard said. “I just don’t think we were as aggressive as we should have been to go get boards. And we knew all this season, that’s all we talk about is winning the rebound war.”

Despite getting killed on the glass, OSU still had a double-digit lead in the third quarter after leading by seven at halftime. However, the things that kept the Jackrabbits in striking distance in the first half helped them break through and take the lead in the third quarter.

In that third quarter, SDSU rattled off a 14-3 run that gave it a lead and would be the turning point in the game.

“It’s a game of runs; we talk about it all the time,” Hoyt said. “‘Sudden change’ is a term we use a lot, and that’s the name of the game. They went on their run. We went on our run at one point. That’s just how it is.”

While the Cowgirls didn’t get their desired result, this season will go down as one of the best in program history and will only serve as a step toward what Hoyt and company hope to accomplish in the future.

“We got to the tournament; OK, what does it take to win in the tournament?” Hoyt said. “I thought [South Dakota State] made winning plays today. We didn’t make some of those winning plays that we needed to. But at the same time, experience, you just can’t do anything about it.

“I know in the future, what happened today is gonna stick with the kids that we’ve got, and when we’re back here in a year, it’s not gonna be the same story.”