Game Preview: No. 21 Cowgirls Tip Off Big 12 Tournament vs. Texas Tech
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The Cowgirls are back in action and looking to begin their Big 12 Tournament run with a win.
Throughout the season, Oklahoma State has been one of the best teams in the Big 12 and the entire country. Coming into the conference tournament at No. 21 in the latest AP poll and firmly in the NCAA Tournament field, the Cowgirls have an opportunity to improve their standing and prove they belong in a national championship discussion.
Game Information: No. 21 Oklahoma State (24-5, 14-4 Big 12) vs. Texas Tech (17-16, 4-14)
Date/Time: Friday, March 7 at 8 p.m. CT
Where: T-Mobile Center - Kansas City, MO
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
The Cowgirls will face an unexpected opponent that is on a special Big 12 Tournament run itself. Texas Tech came into Kansas City as the No. 14 seed and has knocked off Kansas and Utah on its way to a matchup with OSU.
This will be a challenging contest for the Red Raiders beyond simply facing one of the Big 12’s best. This will be Texas Tech’s third game in three days, with the Cowgirls coming in with a few days rest.
The Cowgirls’ matchup against Texas Tech will mark the teams’ second meeting this season, with the first being an OSU win in Lubbock. OSU had firm control for much of the final minutes and had to weather a late Texas Tech push to secure the win.
Stailee Heard was dominant in OSU’s first matchup with Texas Tech, scoring 34 of OSU’s 71 points in the victory. She also added seven rebounds, four steals and a block.
If Heard can get anywhere close to that performance on Friday, the Cowgirls should be in a great position to advance. However, stopping Jasmine Shavers and Bailey Maupin will be massive for the Cowgirls. Those two are Texas Tech’s only double-digit scorers, and the Red Raiders see a significant scoring dropoff after that duo.
OSU has been one of the best teams in the Big 12 all season, and with one more weekend to play before the NCAA Tournament, it has a chance to show exactly where it stands.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.