Instant Recap: Oklahoma State Falls on the Road to BYU 68-64

BOXCORE

That’s why they call it a trap game. The Cowgirls stepped right in it.

No. 20 Oklahoma State fell to BYU 68-64 on the road.

The Cowgirls came to Provo just one game out of the Big 12 lead and with a tough game against Utah looming, but they got all they could handle and more from the Cougars.

BYU came in last in the league in turnover margin and that played out in the first half, but the Cowgirls didn’t take advantage.

OSU forced eight BYU turnovers in the first quarter without committing one of their own. By halftime, the Cowgirls had a decided TO advantage of 16-4 for a 14-4 edge in points of turnovers, but poor shooting and rebounding allowed the Cougars to tie it with a buzzer-beater layup going into halftime. OSU finished with a 24-13 advantage in turnovers and scoring 22 points of TOs to BYU’s 13, but their shooters were cold and they got bullied on the glass.

Oklahoma State shot 47.1% from the field in the first quarter but went just 3-for-17 in the second to go into the locker room shooting just 32% to BYU’s 52%. The Cowgirls couldn’t find their range, going 1-for-12 from 3 in the first half, and BYU outrebounded OSU 22-15.

A big part of that shooting slump was an uncharacteristic frigid start by both Stailee Heard and Micah Gray. Heard was 0-for-4 in the first half, and Gray was 1-for-6. The Cowgirls’ two leading scorers combined for just six first-half points and 14 on the game. They were 8-of-20 from the field and 1-for-9 from deep.

The Cougars were led by Emma Calvert’s 19 points. Their frosh phenom Delany Gibb didn’t start the game off lighting the net on fire like you might expect, but she got her teammates involved early before coming up big late, including a pair of clutch free throws. She finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The Cowgirls bounced back in the third, shooting 8-for-14 from the field (57.1%) but were still 1-for-6 from 3, though that one make was a buzzer beater by Macey Huard at the end of the quarter to give OSU a 51-47 lead.

Two Cowgirls scored in double figures. Anna Gret Asi scored 13 on 11 shots and was 2-for-7 from 3, but she seemed like the only hand to trust with a late 3-point attempt. That shows just how cold the Cowgirls had gotten.

In a game in which the Cowgirls needed to grind it out, they turned to Tenin Magassa. The Cowgirls’ center shared a team lead of 13 points and grabbed seven boards. Unfortunately, Magassa fouled out with 90 seconds left on a ticky-tack moving screen on what seemed like a makeup call after the home crowd balked at the same call on Calvert the possession before.

Neither team seemed able to get out of its own way, combining for seven turnovers over the last four minutes of the game. BYU’s Amari Whiting stepped to the line with 27 seconds left and her team up two and she missed both of them, but Kambree Barber put back the offensive board to put the Cougars up 64-60 with 21 ticks to go.

Micah Gray was 0-for-5 before she drained one to pull OSU to within 64-63 with 18 seconds to go. OSU was 3-for-17 from deep before that one. The Cowgirls had to foul Gibb to stop the clock, and she made both to make it 66-63 with five seconds to play.

The Cowgirls went to Asi ,who missed from 3, but BYU fouled Praise Egharevba on the rebound attempt. She split the two free ones, but BYU’s Calvert got the rebound and was fouled. She made both of hers seal the win at 68-64.

With the loss, the Cowgirls fall to 20-5 and 10-4 in conference play, one full game behind Utah, who they’ll face on Tuesday. The Cowgirls and Utes tip off at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Salt Lake City.