Cowgirls Advance With WNIT Win

NewsOn6.com
 
STILLWATER, OK -- Oklahoma State's women's basketball team snapped a seven-game home losing streak with an 82-72 victory over UT Arlington in the first round of the WNIT on Saturday afternoon.
 
After missing seven of their first eight shots, the Cowgirls (17-15) found the hot hand over the final 16 minutes of the first half, connecting on 15 of their final 23 shots en route to a 46-point outburst and an 11-point lead at the intermission.
 
OSU scored the first six points after the break for its biggest lead of the game at 52-35 before the Mavericks (22-11) began to climb back into the contest. UTA cut the margin to single digits at the 8:31 mark and made it a two-possession game at 72-66 with just over four minutes remaining.
 
However, the Cowgirls made four of their final five shots from the field to send them into the second round.
 
With the victory, OSU ran its non-conference home winning streak to 33 consecutive games and is now 4-0 all time in WNIT games in Stillwater.
 
The Cowgirls got a huge game from senior Shaunte Smith, who poured in a career-high 24 points and pulled 13 rebounds. The totals gave the Oklahoma City native her third consecutive double-double and the 21st of her career.
 
Junior Andrea Riley added 20 points and a game-high seven assists and four steals.
 
UTA's Candice Champion scored 22 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds, while Tamara Simmons added 22 points and five assists.
 
OSU will travel to Fayetteville, Ark., on Monday to take on Arkansas at 7 p.m.