Oklahoma State Earns Best Record Through 20 Games Since 2013-14

The Cowgirls are having a season to remember in Jacie Hoyt's third year.

Oklahoma State guard Stailee Heard (32) catches a pass from across the court and lays up the ball in the fourth quarter during an NCAA women’s basketball game between Oklahoma State and McNeese at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cowgirls are having one of the best seasons in program history.

On Saturday, Oklahoma State won at Texas Tech 71-68 to earn its third straight win and continue its phenomenal season. While the Cowgirls lost their next game after a top 25 win last week, they carried momentum from their upset against TCU into Lubbock and reached an impressive milestone.

OSU already surpassed its win total of 14 from last season when it beat UCF a week ago, but this win helped the Cowgirls reach a mark they hadn’t seen in over a decade. At 17-3, the Cowgirls are having their best start to a season since 2013-14 when the team went 18-2.

In Jim Littell’s third season at the helm, that OSU squad went on to have a 25-9 record and made it to the Sweet 16. However, this OSU team will look to avoid the fate of that squad. After their magical 18-2 start, the Cowgirls went only 4-5 the rest of the regular season and failed to host an NCAA Tournament game after being ranked as high as No. 8 in January.

With Hoyt in her third year, she has led the OSU program to a quick turnaround and has spearheaded the program’s ascension to a Big 12 contender. With the team looking like a lock for the NCAA Tournament already, the Cowgirls can set their sights even higher than simply making it in.

With the Cowgirls halfway through the conference slate, they have a real opportunity to compete for the Big 12 title. With five of OSU’s final nine regular season games in Gallagher-Iba Arena, simply protecting home court could lead the Cowgirls to new heights. 

If OSU can find the same success over the final nine Big 12 games, it would finish at 14-4 in conference play and 24-5 overall. Last season, a 14-4 conference record was good for second in the Big 12. If OSU could follow a successful regular season with a deep Big 12 Tournament run, it could be in a great position to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

OSU has never made it past the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, but with such a great start to the season, the sky is the limit for Hoyt’s team, and OSU could soon be celebrating the best season in program history.

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