Instant Recap: Oklahoma State Falls to Oklahoma 92-70 in Second Leg of Bedlam in OKC

BOXSCORE

Oklahoma State went 0-2 in hoops in OKC on Saturday.

The No. 23 Cowgirls fell to the No. 9 Sooners 92-70, thanks to a huge third quarter by Oklahoma and big games from the Sooners’ two best players. The loss extends Oklahoma’s Bedlam win streak to seven over the Cowgirls.

Oklahoma went to one of those two stars early and often, feeding senior big Raegan Beers in the post. Beers was 3-for-4 for six points in the first and finished 10-for-14 for 22 points and 12 rebounds.

It was never more than a two-possession game until the final three minutes of the first half. That’s when the two teams’ most talented wings seemingly swapped out for each other.

OSU’s Stailee Heard had seven early points until she got into early foul trouble in the second and didn’t score again. But shortly after that unfolded, OU freshman Aaliyah Chavez saw the ball go in for the first time in the game and then she caught fire.

The Sooners took on a 9-0 run in the second quarter, fueled in large part by a string of Cowgirl turnovers. The last two of those were technical free throws by OU freshman Aliyah Chavez, her first of the game. She promptly knocked down her first 3-pointer and made six of her last 11 shots and finish with 15 points and seven boards.

That tech was a product of some frustration that was already spilling over on the Cowgirls’ sideline.

Heard picked up that second foul trailing OU forward Caya Smith following a steal and runout. Smith stepped in front of Heard and almost seemed to trip on her own foot. Heard was called for the foul and had a reaction to it. A couple of plays later, OSU head coach Jacie Hoyt gave an official a piece of her mind, still apparently upset about that call and picked up a technical foul. Again, those two shots reminded Chavez where the rim was and she proceeded to make three of her next four.

But that technical also preceded a 7-0 run by the Cowgirls that got them back to within 40-35 before Oklahoma’s Sahara Williams made a midrange shot to take a 42-37 lead into the half.

Unfortunately for OSU, the Sooners came out of the break on fire, making six of seven from the floor, including five straight to increase their lead to as much as must as 19 late in the third. That’s when Chavez took over the game. After a drawing a double team and assisting on a Verhulst 3-pointer, she had back-to-back steals for a fastbreak layup and then a foul that led to points.

The Cowgirls made one last push to get back in it.

Micah Gray almost got the Cowgirls back into it all on her own. She led OSU with 22 points on 9-of-23 shooting to go along with four rebounds and two assists. Fifteen of her 22 points game in the second half.

The Cowgirls also had gone to a zone defense late in the third, and it helped to stop the bleeding. They held OU to just four points on 2-of-6 shooting over the first 10 minutes of the fourth. But they couldn’t stop the bleeding for long. Beers ended the game like she started it, going 4-for-5 for 10 points in the fourth quarter. The Cowgirls got as close as 10 before the Sooners opened it back up.

Three Cowgirls scored in double digits with Haleigh Timmer adding 11 points, making 3-of-6 from deep and Jadyn Wooten pouring in 15 points off the bench.

OSU came in shooting 39.3% from deep but made just 9-of-32 3-point attempts (28%). Gray and Timmer were the only Cowgirls to make multiple 3s. Also, the Cowgirls ranked fifth in the nation averaging 21.5 assists per game but only dished out a season-low nine.

With the loss, the Cowgirls fall to 10-2 on the season. They return home to face Tulsa at 6:30 p.m. Monday night in their final nonconference game before their Big 12 opener at Cincinnati on Sunday, Dec. 21.