Cowgirls win in triple overtime to extend winning streak

Davis Cordova Staff Reporter

The Cowgirls played a sloppy game, but they found a way to win in the third overtime to extend their winning streak.

On Saturday, the OSU Cowgirls defeated Texas Tech in Lubbock, 92-80 in triple overtime, the first 3OT game for OSU since 1991. The Cowgirls are on a fivegame winning streak.

The first 50 minutes of the game looked sloppy.

Between the teams, there were 38 turnovers and 50 fouls. Oh, and the Cowgirls had a season-low 55 points at the end of regulation. OSU’s associate head coach Jhasmine Player said the Cowgirls never backed down.

“At the end of regulation, it was 55-55 and that’s a really low scoring game for us,” Player said. “I’m just really proud of the resilience of our kids. They never wavered.”

Guard Naomie Alnatas arguably kept OSU from getting down too far in the game in regulation, there were times when Texas Tech would go on scoring spurts and Alnatas continued to show up and score. In the second quarter, Alnatas went on her own run, scoring nine-straight points, trading scores with the Red Raiders.

She finished with 28 points. Even though most of the game didn’t look great, none of it mattered as much as the final five minutes where OSU finally pulled away and put together a complete stretch to win, without two starters.

Guard Terryn Milton and forward Taylen Collins fouled out prior to the third overtime, which allowed guard Anna Gret Asi, who had five points in the third overtime, and forward Lior Garzon, who made three crucial free throws in the final two minutes, to play at the end and deliver a complete team performance in the end.

The defense, which stifled Texas Tech most of the game, did its part, allowing four points, but it was the offense that surprisingly erupted for 16 points and it happened almost exactly like other down-the-stretch runs have happened in other close wins for OSU – collectively.

The Cowgirls had five scorers in the final period.

“The defense stepped up in a way that you wouldn’t have imagined from both teams, but our bench has reps,” Player said. “They’ve been great for us all year and they were ready to play today. There were times where we had players in foul trouble and I’m looking at [Kassidy De Lapp], I’m looking at Anna Gret, I’m looking at Lior and telling them to be ready and they were.” sports.ed@ocolly.com

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“He was never really able to get great post position to do what he’s been doing really well,” OSU coach Mike Boynton said. “Credit to TCU.”

Boynton said he is surprised his team did not respond to TCU’s physicality better considering the bruising play style common among Big 12 teams.

Some of TCU’s points in the paint came out of OSU’s desperation. The Cowboys were down 20 at halftime and when TCU (18-9, 7-7 Big 12) started the second half quickly, OSU coach Mike Boynton made a switch. He applied a full-court press on defense for much of the second half. It created some turnovers, but the Horned Frogs broke it enough to get some easy layups.

“Some of (TCU’s points in the paint) came there (off the press),” Boynton said. “But some of the other ones just came from poor ball handling. Turnovers that led to breakouts. There’s a reason they are the No. 1 fastbreak team in the country.”

The Horned Frogs made 22 layups. Every time their opponents got in transition, the Cowboys (16-11, 7-7 Big 12) did not have an opportunity to set up their half court defense that Moussa Cisse, a 7-foot-1 center proficient at shot blocking, anchors.

OSU senior point guard JohnMichael Wright said getting back to running good offense and avoiding turnovers starts with determination. “We just have to get back to our grit and toughness in practice and in games,” Wright said. “We have to come out with a lot more fire and expectation that the other team is going to knock out heads off. I don’t think we did that today.”