Heard scores 18, Oklahoma State women continue hot start with 64-57 win over No. 17 West Virginia

Updated Jan. 11, 2025 5:39 p.m. ET
Associated Press

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Stailee Heard scored 18 points and Oklahoma State made the clutch plays down the stretch to upset No. 17 West Virginia 64-57 on Saturday.

The Cowgirls were sitting on a 6-57 lead when they missed a 3-pointer put Heard snagged the rebound and scored on a putback. As the Mountaineers attacked the basket on the other end, Tenin Magassa came up with a big block.

When West Virginia missed its last three shots in the final 30 seconds of the game Alexia Smith grabbed teh rebounds and she contributed the final points from the foul line with 11.4 seconds left.

Anna Gret Asi added 12 points and Micah Gray 11 for the Cowgirls (14-2, 4-1 Big 12 Conference), who are off to their best start since going 17-1 in 2013-14. Smith had 12 rebounds and Magass had five blocks.

ADVERTISEMENT

Kylee Blacksten scored 16 points to lead West Virginia (13-3, 3-2) but only had three after the first quarter. JJ Quinerly added 10, nine below her average.

Oklahoma State was averaging more than 85 points a game but won two games in a row scoring 64. The Cowgirls held Cincinnati to 48 points and West Virginia to 27 below their league-leading average of 84.

Heard’s three-point play three minutes into the fourth quarter had the Cowgirls up 58-47 but West Virginia scored the next seven to get with 58-55 with 2:54 to play as Oklahoma State was missing seven-straight shots.

Blacksten started and ended a 12-0 run with 3-pointers that gave the Mountaineers a 17-7 lead but Gray and Asi hit consecutive 3s and the Cowgirls got within 24-23 at the end of the first quarter.

The two teams combined to make 17 of 29 shots with Blacksten scoring 13 points.

The teams cooled off the the second quarter, combining tor 7-of-23 shooting and 10 turnovers but West Virginia upped the lead to 38-33 at halftime.

Oklahoma State scored the first seven points of the third quarter and outscored the Mountaineers 17-7 to take a 50-45 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cowgirls made just 2 of 15 shots and had six turnovers as only two players score. Six different players scored for OSU, which went 7 of 10.

Oklahoma State plays at Houston on Tuesday. Colorado is at West Virginia on Wednesday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

share