Cowgirls dominant in season-opening win

STILLWATER — Leaning on a balanced scoring effort, the Oklahoma State women’s basketball team opened its 2023-24 season with a 100-59 route of Southern Illinois Univertsity-Edwardsville on Monday evening at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The win marked the 17th in OSU’s last 18 season openers and is the Cowgirls’ second in as many meetings against the Cougars. They also scored 100 points for the first time since a home game against Oral Roberts early last season.

The Cowgirls (1-0) put six players in double figures, with Anna Gret Asi leading the way with 20. Freshman Stailee Heard had an impressive collegiate debut, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Lior Garzon scored 17 points in 31 minutes to open her second season at OSU. She also surpassed 1,000 points for her career, getting loose for a lay-up in the third quarter to hit the milestone.

OSU wasted no time in taking a double-figure lead, scoring 21 points before the halfway point in the first quarter. They would finish the quarter leading 29-14, getting a pull-up jump shot and two free throws from Heard in the final minutes of the period.

The Cowgirls kept their foot on the gas to open the second quarter, going on an 12-2 run to open the period. Quincee Noble got the run started with an and-one before Asi was fouled on a 3-point attempt, making all three free throws. OSU would take a 54-32 advantage to the halftime locker room.

In the third, OSU continued to get contributions from its top scorers, including a 7-0 run midway through the period with baskets from Garzon, Heard and Asi. Newcomer Brianna Jackson hit two free throws and Alejah Douglas buried a triple to close the quarter.

With the Cowgirls leading 77-47, the game continued into the fourth quarter, where OSU swiftly went on an 18-2 run. Kennedy Fauntleroy contributed seven of the 18 points on the run while Lior Garzon hit a transition three to close it out.

Fauntleroy finished with 14 points, while Noble scored 12 and Jackson added 10. Asi and Heard’s four assists each led the Cowgirls and Fauntleroy made a defensive impact, totaling four steals.

OSU as a team never trailed in the ball game, while scoring more points in the paint (60) than the Cougars (0-1) scored in the game (59). The Cowgirls also totaled 22 assists on 39 made baskets and shot 51 percent from the field.