Oklahoma State’s basketball team clinched a significant victory against No. 17 West Virginia, winning 64-57 in a match held on Saturday. Stailee Heard led the Cowgirls with 18 points, showcasing their resilience as they came through with decisive plays in crucial moments of the game.
The turning point occurred when Oklahoma State was ahead 56-57 and missed a three-point attempt. Heard, however, secured the rebound and scored with a putback. At the same time, Tenin Magassa made a pivotal block against West Virginia’s attempts to attack the basket. In the game’s final 30 seconds, when the Mountaineers missed their last three attempts, Alexia Smith was instrumental in grabbing defensive rebounds, and her free throws in the waning moments solidified the victory with 11.4 seconds to go.
Alongside Heard, Anna Gret Asi contributed 12 points, and Micah Gray added 11 for the Cowgirls, who improved to 14-2 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12 Conference, marking their best start since achieving a 17-1 record in the 2013-14 season. Smith also had a remarkable contribution with 12 rebounds while Magassa recorded five blocks throughout the game.
For West Virginia, which stands at 13-3 and 3-2 in the league, Kylee Blacksten emerged as the top scorer with 16 points but only netted three after the opening quarter. JJ Quinerly, usually a significant contributor, finished with just 10 points, falling short of her average.
Despite averaging over 85 points per game, Oklahoma State found success with a much lower score of 64 in the last two outings, including this upset. The Cowgirls’ strong defense limited Cincinnati to just 48 points and kept West Virginia below their league-leading average of 84 points.
Heard’s strong three-point play early in the fourth quarter propelled the Cowgirls to a 58-47 lead. Yet, West Virginia responded with a 7-0 run, tightening the score to 58-55 with just under three minutes remaining, as Oklahoma State struggled and missed seven consecutive shots.
The Mountaineers initially jumped ahead with a 12-0 run led by Blacksten, who opened and closed the run with successful three-pointers for a 17-7 lead. In response, Gray and Asi drained consecutive threes, allowing Oklahoma State to close the gap to 24-23 by the end of the first quarter.
However, the game saw fluctuations in scoring, particularly in the second quarter, where both teams combined for only 7-of-23 shooting and committed a total of 10 turnovers, allowing West Virginia to edge ahead 38-33 by halftime.
The Cowgirls then responded strongly in the third quarter, scoring the first seven points and outscoring their opponents 17-7 to carry a 50-45 advantage into the final period. Despite a rocky fourth quarter with only two players scoring and missing 13 shots, Oklahoma State managed to maintain their lead and secure the win.
Looking ahead, Oklahoma State will face Houston in their next game on Tuesday, while West Virginia is set to host Colorado on Wednesday.
