No. 25 Cowgirls Ride Dominant First Half to Big Win vs. No. 12 Kansas State
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Oklahoma State had a dominant performance back on the home floor.
On Saturday, No. 25 OSU beat No. 12 Kansas State 85-55 in Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. Knocking off the Big 12’s top team in their only matchup this season, the Cowgirls built a large early lead and continued to pile on one of the best in the country.
OSU’s dominance began in the first quarter. After getting a week off to recover from its disappointing loss at West Virginia, where it only scored 37 points, OSU put up 31 in the first 10 minutes.
With the team shooting 12-of-17 from the floor, it was the Cowgirls’ big three that pushed OSU’s lead to 22 after the first. Micah Gray, Anna Gret Asi and Stailee Heard combined for 27 points and seven 3-pointers in that first quarter. Of course, building the big lead had plenty to do with the other end as well, with OSU holding Kansas State to 2-of-14 from the floor and forcing four turnovers.
OSU continued to add to its lead in the second quarter, pushing its advantage above 30 thanks to a flurry of threes from Asi, who entered halftime with six makes from beyond the arc. OSU’s lead grew to as much as 34 before taking a 51-20 lead into the locker room.
As one of the top 15 teams in the country and a great third-quarter team, the Wildcats looked to get back into the game after halftime. The Wildcats began the half on a 10-0 run and had OSU out of sorts on both ends. Another Asi three stopped the bleeding for the Cowgirls and kickstarted the final blow. Asi’s hit from beyond the arc was the start of a 15-0 run that pushed OSU’s lead up to 36, and it continued to grow in the minutes after.
After narrowly staying in the top 25 last week, the Cowgirls’ big statement in their only game this week should help them leap to their highest ranking of the season. Easily the most complete game of the season for the Cowgirls, OSU’s Big 12 title hopes have never been more within reach as it moves within one game of the top spot.
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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.