JimBob
03-13-2008, 11:26 AM
Cowgirls waltz into semis
By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer
3/13/2008
Andrea Riley scores 23 for Oklahoma State in a 20-point win over KU.
KANSAS CITY -- Third-seed Oklahoma State didn't fall victim to the upset bug that claimed the top two seeds of the Big 12 Women's Basketball Championships.
Sparked by a 30-8 run in the first half, the Cowgirls (24-6) whipped 11-seed Kansas 82-62 in quarterfinal action Wednesday at Municipal Auditorium.
With the win, OSU advances to play No. 7 seed Texas in a semifinal at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The other semifinal pits No. 4 seed Texas A&M and No. 8 seed Iowa State at 6 p.m.
Top-seeded Kansas State and No. 2 seed Baylor weren't as fortunate; both teams lost Wednesday.
The victory exorcised a lot of demons for the Cowgirls.
The win was the first in postseason play since 2003 and snapped a five-game postseason losing streak. It also marks the first time OSU has reached the tournament semifinals since 1998.
Andrea Riley electrified the crowd with swift moves to the basket en route to a game-high 23 points. Riley also moved past Clinette Jordan and into first place on the school's single-season scoring list. By game's end, her season points total had increased to 683 points.
The 5-foot-5 sophomore has scored 20-plus points in 18 games this year.
Riley did have a little help. Four of her teammates also scored in double figures. Taylor Hardeman buried four 3-pointers to move into second place in school history with 117. She now has at least two 3-pointers in 13 of her last 19 games.
Maria Cordero pitched in 14 points, followed by Shaunte Smith with 12 and Danielle Green with 10.
"I'm very proud of the win tonight," Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke said. "Any time our team has five in double figures, we're dangerous and we're tough to beat."
"Early on when Andrea wasn't (scoring) I thought everyone else did a good job of keeping us going. Right now we feel like we can beat anyone that gets on the floor with us. We're playing with that much confidence."
Riley said OSU's opening-round loss last year provided OSU with all the motivation it needed.
"We got eliminated in first round last year in both tournaments. We're not taking that road again," she said.
Hardeman said this year's upsets also motivated the Cowgirls. "It was crazy, it just shows anything can happen. We watched games all day (Wednesday), we were just ready to get out there and play," she said.
Added Budke, "KU grabbed our attention last year by beating us in the first round. That was our sole motivation to win."
Budke's first year at OSU, the Cowgirls failed to win a Big 12 game. Now two years later, they are one win away from playing for a conference title.
"We've just chopped those (barriers) down," he said.
It looked as though OSU was on the verge of a runaway late in the opening half, but KU answered with its own 12-5 run to pull to within 43-31 at intermission.
OSU benefited in that opening half, shooting 17 free throws to none for the Jayhawks. KU didn't make its first trip to the free-throw line until more than 22 minutes into the game.
Danielle McCray led the Jayhawks with 18 points and was followed by Krysten Boogaard with 17. The 6-foot-5 freshman center scored her team's first 10 points of the second half. LaChelda Jacobs had 15 points.
But both Boogaard and McCray were in foul trouble and had to sit six minutes into the second half.
"It was important getting the fourth foul on Boogaard," Budke said. "She was changing the game to get them back in. It's so hard to put 40 perfect minutes together."
"I don't think there is any question they have a lot of motivation," Budke said. "It's taken them time to adjust to a new coach but they have adjusted. It should be a great atmosphere."
By LYNN JACOBSEN World Sports Writer
3/13/2008
Andrea Riley scores 23 for Oklahoma State in a 20-point win over KU.
KANSAS CITY -- Third-seed Oklahoma State didn't fall victim to the upset bug that claimed the top two seeds of the Big 12 Women's Basketball Championships.
Sparked by a 30-8 run in the first half, the Cowgirls (24-6) whipped 11-seed Kansas 82-62 in quarterfinal action Wednesday at Municipal Auditorium.
With the win, OSU advances to play No. 7 seed Texas in a semifinal at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The other semifinal pits No. 4 seed Texas A&M and No. 8 seed Iowa State at 6 p.m.
Top-seeded Kansas State and No. 2 seed Baylor weren't as fortunate; both teams lost Wednesday.
The victory exorcised a lot of demons for the Cowgirls.
The win was the first in postseason play since 2003 and snapped a five-game postseason losing streak. It also marks the first time OSU has reached the tournament semifinals since 1998.
Andrea Riley electrified the crowd with swift moves to the basket en route to a game-high 23 points. Riley also moved past Clinette Jordan and into first place on the school's single-season scoring list. By game's end, her season points total had increased to 683 points.
The 5-foot-5 sophomore has scored 20-plus points in 18 games this year.
Riley did have a little help. Four of her teammates also scored in double figures. Taylor Hardeman buried four 3-pointers to move into second place in school history with 117. She now has at least two 3-pointers in 13 of her last 19 games.
Maria Cordero pitched in 14 points, followed by Shaunte Smith with 12 and Danielle Green with 10.
"I'm very proud of the win tonight," Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke said. "Any time our team has five in double figures, we're dangerous and we're tough to beat."
"Early on when Andrea wasn't (scoring) I thought everyone else did a good job of keeping us going. Right now we feel like we can beat anyone that gets on the floor with us. We're playing with that much confidence."
Riley said OSU's opening-round loss last year provided OSU with all the motivation it needed.
"We got eliminated in first round last year in both tournaments. We're not taking that road again," she said.
Hardeman said this year's upsets also motivated the Cowgirls. "It was crazy, it just shows anything can happen. We watched games all day (Wednesday), we were just ready to get out there and play," she said.
Added Budke, "KU grabbed our attention last year by beating us in the first round. That was our sole motivation to win."
Budke's first year at OSU, the Cowgirls failed to win a Big 12 game. Now two years later, they are one win away from playing for a conference title.
"We've just chopped those (barriers) down," he said.
It looked as though OSU was on the verge of a runaway late in the opening half, but KU answered with its own 12-5 run to pull to within 43-31 at intermission.
OSU benefited in that opening half, shooting 17 free throws to none for the Jayhawks. KU didn't make its first trip to the free-throw line until more than 22 minutes into the game.
Danielle McCray led the Jayhawks with 18 points and was followed by Krysten Boogaard with 17. The 6-foot-5 freshman center scored her team's first 10 points of the second half. LaChelda Jacobs had 15 points.
But both Boogaard and McCray were in foul trouble and had to sit six minutes into the second half.
"It was important getting the fourth foul on Boogaard," Budke said. "She was changing the game to get them back in. It's so hard to put 40 perfect minutes together."
"I don't think there is any question they have a lot of motivation," Budke said. "It's taken them time to adjust to a new coach but they have adjusted. It should be a great atmosphere."