Will Oklahoma State women's basketball earn NCAA berth in Jacie Hoyt's first season?
STILLWATER — It was exactly a month ago when the Oklahoma State women’s basketball program forced its way into the conversation for an NCAA Tournament berth.
On Jan. 11, the Cowgirls went to Waco, Texas, and beat Baylor, one of the Big 12’s most accomplished programs, on the Bears’ home floor.
That victory came a few days after OSU had defeated Texas in Stillwater.
Before those two games, the Cowgirls were off to an 0-2 start in Big 12 play and had outsiders thinking that preseason prediction of a ninth-place finish in the conference was legitimate.
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But as the Cowgirls (17-7, 7-5 Big 12) prepare for the Baylor (16-7, 7-4) rematch — set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena, carried by ESPN+ — they look like a reinvigorated program under first-year head coach Jacie Hoyt.
The Cowgirls have been holding steady in the top 50 of the NET rankings, currently at No. 49. ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme has the Cowgirls as a No. 9 seed, firmly in the NCAA Tournament, in his most recent projection.
And they’re coming off a crucial win over West Virginia that gave OSU some extra cushion between themselves and the bottom five teams in the league standings. The Cowgirls are in fifth, but tied in the win column with Iowa State and Baylor. And the schedule still includes games against most of the teams above them.
The remaining schedule isn’t easy, but it’s favorable, with the toughest opponents — Baylor, Iowa State and OU — coming to Stillwater.
Road games remain at Texas Tech, Kansas and West Virginia, all of which are winnable. But losses could be costly, whereas home losses to highly regarded teams won’t be quite as damaging.
So the Cowgirls’ journey to the NCAA Tournament will be primarily determined by the road games ahead.
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Perhaps the most important thing the Cowgirls have proven in February is their ability to win games even when the 3-pointer isn’t falling. They’ve made just 14 3s during the current three-game winning streak, a season-low for any three-game stretch.
But with an offensive boost from the frontcourt, as well as some consistent shooting from mid-range, the overall offensive production hasn’t dipped.
The Cowgirls remain the top 3-point shooting team in the conference at 37.1% and the No. 2 scoring offense at 77.8 points per game.
Individually, no OSU player is in the Big 12’s top 10 in scoring, but six players are averaging at least 9.7 points per game.
“I think our biggest strength right now is the fact that it’s a team effort, day in and day out,” Hoyt said. “No one really cares who gets the credit and it’s just fun to be a part of.
“We’re just having fun right now.”
OSU vs. Baylor
TIPOFF: 2 p.m. Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater (ESPN+)
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State women's basketball eyes NCAA bid with coach Jacie Hoyt
