by CANCUN, Mexico — For the third consecutive game at the Women’s Cancun Challenge, Oklahoma State’s women’s basketball team found itself in a tightly contested battle, coming out on the short end of a 71-65 contest against Purdue at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya on Saturday afternoon.
The Cowgirls finished the event with a 2-1 mark after knocking off Florida State and Harvard.
OSU struggled offensively in the first quarter, hitting just five of its 18 shots in the period. However, the Cowgirls were able to stay within striking distance and trailed just 18-13 through the first 10 minutes.
Purdue stretched the margin to 23-13 before fifth year Naomie Alnatas went on a 10-0 run of her own, drilling a pair of 3-pointers and two jumpers to knot the score at the halfway point of the quarter.
The run continued with junior Taylen Collins making a pair of free throws and Alnatas drilling another trey to give OSU a 28-23 lead.
The Cowgirls would hold a 32-27 lead at the half.
On three different occasions early in the third, Alnatas pushed the margin to eight before Purdue began to chip away.
The Boilermakers got with one with two minutes to go in the third and regained the lead at 43-42 with less than a minute to go. They would take a 46-44 lead into the fourth.
Purdue would use a 9-2 run to move in front 55-48 with seven minutes left in the contest.
Junior Lexy Keys would drill back-to-back 3-pointers, the 99th and 100th of her career, to move OSU back in front at 63-60 with 3:47 to go.
Purdue would answer with a 9-0 run to flip the score in their favor for the remainder of the contest.
Alnatas finished with a game-high 23 points and was joined in double figures by Terryn Milton, who had 15, and Keys, who finished with 14
