by STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State’s women’s basketball team closed out its regular season on Saturday afternoon with an 80-71 loss to Oklahoma in front of 6,585 fans inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Cowgirls finished the regular season at 20-10 overall and 10-8 in Big 12 play.
After OSU scored the opening points, OU reeled off an 8-0 run before the Cowgirls countered with back-to-back treys to knot the score.
The Sooners outrebounded OSU by a 13-4 count in the period while shooting 50 percent from the floor to lead, 24-20.
The Cowgirls opened the second with back-to-back treys from Lior Garzon to move in front, 26-24. Naomie Alnatas would drill one of her own and Garzon would add another to extend the lead to 34-28 with five minutes to go in the half. However, the Sooners would answer with the next five to cut the margin to one.
OSU would push the margin to nine with less than a minute to go before eventually taking a 45-39 lead into the halftime locker room.
Both sides were slow to start offensively in the third with just four points being scored over the first three minutes. OU would use a 4-0 run to cut OSU’s lead to 47-45 with six minutes remaining in the quarter.
Lexy Keys would end a nearly four-minute scoring drought to push OSU’s lead back to three with a free throw after the media timeout before the Sooners would tie the game at 48 apiece with four minutes on the clock.
OU would convert a three-point play a minute later to move back in front. The Sooners would extend their lead to 57-50 with a 6-0 spurt. The Sooners would outscore the Cowgirls 24-11 in the third to take a 63-56 advantage into the final frame.
The Sooners scored four of the first five to start the fourth and push the margin to double figures at 67-56. OSU would answer with a 6-0 run before the Sooners countered with a 3-point play.
The Cowgirls would get within six at 70-64 with 4:25 to go, but could get no closer than seven until a three-point play from Keys with 28 seconds left to make it a two possession game again at 77-71.
Alnatas led OSU with 15, while Keys had 14 and Garzon finished with 13.
