Cowgirls Fall In Big 12 Road Opener, 86-72

Oklahoma State's women's basketball team suffered an 86-72 loss in its Big 12 road opener at Kansas State inside Bramlage Coliseum on Wednesday night.

OSU fell to 10-4 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play, while K-State improved to 12-3 and 1-1.

In the first, OSU opened on a 9-0 run fueled by four points from Naomie Alnatas, including a 3-pointer to force a K-State timeout just 90 seconds into the contest.

K-State would use a 7-0 run of its own before tying the contest at 19 apiece with a minute left in the quarter.

The Cowgirls would get 11 points in the frame from Alnatas and found themselves tied at 21 through the first 10 minutes.

The second quarter saw K-State hit a pair of treys to lead 27-23 before Alnatas answered with one of her own to get OSU within one with three minutes gone. K-State would make six consecutive field to grow the lead to 42-32 with three minutes to go.

The Wildcats would shoot 59 percent in the quarter to take a 47-40 lead at the break.

After OSU opened with a 3-pointer from Lexy Keys in the third quarter, the Wildcats answered with a quick 7-0 run to move the margin back to double figures at 54-43. The Cowgirls would trim the deficit to six with less than three minutes remaining in the period before adding a pair of Keys' free throws to get within four with a minute left.

K-State took a 64-58 lead into the final frame.

The Cowgirls used a 6-0 run through the middle of the fourth to get within 68-66, causing the Wildcats to take a timeout. Defensively, OSU held K-State to a 1-of-8 stretch and a scoreless drought of more than two and a half minutes to climb back into the contest.

The Wildcats stopped the run with a 3-pointer and a layup to move back in front 75-68 with three minutes to go.

Alnatas was one of four Cowgirls in double figures, finishing with 19 points on the night.