Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Basketball Opens Season With Exhibition Thursday
November 08, 2000 | Cowgirl Basketball
Nov. 8, 2000
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Oklahoma St. vs. Australian Institute of Sport
Thursday - Nov. 9, 2000
Chisholm Trail Expo Center (6,000)
Enid, Oklahoma
Radio - Stillwater Radio (KGFY-105.5 FM)
COWGIRLS OPEN NEW CENTURY
The 2000-01 version of the Oklahoma State Cowgirls will open the season on Thursday, Nov. 9, as OSU will host the Australian Institute of Sport at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center in Enid, Okla. The game will be played as part of a doubleheader with the men's exhibition game against Athlete's First. The Cowgirls will play at 6 p.m., followed by the Cowboys at approximately 8 p.m.
FAMILIAR FOE
OSU's opponent in the first exhibition of the season should be a familiar one to the Cowgirls. Oklahoma State played the Australian Institute of Sport on May 12, 2000, during its tour of the land down under. The Cowgirls fell to AIS, 73-69, in their only loss of the tour. Center Jessica Bates scored 23 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in the game, while Jennifer Crow chipped in 19 points off the bench. Guard Shelby Hutchens added nine, while post Toya Releford scored eight. OSU shot 51.6 (16-of-31) percent from the floor in the first half, yet trailed, 48-39, at intermission. The Cowgirls committed just nine turnovers in the game, including just two in the second period. AIS outrebounded Oklahoma State, 44-32, and shot 44.3 percent >from the floor for the game.
MORE ON AIS
The Australian Institute of Sport is a program designed to bring the best athletes in Australia together at a single institution. Most of the players are between 16 and 18 years of age. Because no other high schools are capable of competing with the team, the Institute plays in Division I of the WNBL, the Women's Professional Basketball League. The only amateur team in the league, AIS won the 1999 WNBL championship. The Institute has played four games in the last week. Here are the results: lost, 72-82, at Missouri, lost, 69-78, at Southwest Missouri State, lost, 76-94, at Arkansas, lost, 60-64, at Wichita State. They play at Tulsa tonight.
COACH DICK HALTERMAN
Dick Halterman is entering his 18th season as the head coach for the Oklahoma State Cowgirls, and brings with him a 301-203 career mark at OSU. Halterman has guided the Cowgirls to eight postseason appearances in the last 12 years, including seven NCAA Tournament appearances (last in 1996) and one Women's NIT appearance (1998). Under Halterman, 13 Cowgirls have been named first-team all-conference, while 31 student-athletes have achieved first-team academic all-conference status. He is a two-time conference Coach of the Year, and was the District V Coach of the Year in 1991. Halterman has taken two conference All-Star teams abroad, including August of 1999, when he led the Big 12 All-Stars on a tour of Finland and Sweden. That team finished with a 5-1 record. Here is a look at Halterman's year-by-year coaching record at Oklahoma State.
HALTERMAN ON RADIO/TV
During the 2000-01 season, fans can catch up with the Cowgirl head coach on both the radio and television. The Coach Halterman Radio Show will once again be broadcast on KGFY-105.5 FM in Stillwater, although the day and time are yet to be determined. The Coach Halterman Television Show will be broadcast on KWEM-TV 31 in Stillwater, Channel 3 on Peak Cablevision, as well as in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City area. The days and times will be released at a later date. Casey Kendrick, program manager at KWEM, will host both the radio and television shows.
COWGIRL BASKETBALL ON THE AIR
Once again during the 2000-01 season, Oklahoma State's basketball games will be broadcast live on KGFY-105.5 FM in Stillwater. Kevin Gum, in his 11th season with the Cowgirl broadcast, will handle play-by-play duties, while Casey Kendrick, in his sixth season on the air, will provide color analysis. For the first time, Cowgirl Basketball will be part of the OSU Radio Network. Member stations will provide statewide broadcasts of as many as 10 games throughout the season. Fans unable to pick up the over-the-air broadcast will be able to listen to the games via the internet at www.okstate.com. Broadcasts will begin 15 minutes prior to tipoff with pregame analysis, as well as interviews with Coach Halterman and various Cowgirl players.
CAPTAINS
Juniors Kara Faulk and Nikki Lawrence were voted on by the team as the captains for the 2000-01 season. Faulk, a Sapulpa, Okla., native, is beginning her third year in a Cowgirl uniform. Lawrence is a junior college transfer originally from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
THE PRESEASON RANKINGS Both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Polls were released this week. Six of Oklahoma State's opponents this season were receiving votes in the AP Poll, while an additional five were receiving votes in the Coaches' Poll. Teams ranked in the top 25 in both polls are: Iowa State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri State. Others receiving votes are Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, Arkansas and Alabama.
PLAYING STATUS
To start the season, Oklahoma State will be without the services of three players. Senior Devon Magness is out for the season with a bad back and knees. Fellow senior Toya Releford will be out until the middle of December after undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Sophomore Timeka Beason will sit out until the second semester after entering OSU as a partial qualifier last January.
Player Notes
#00 Toya Releford - Toya is recovering well from surgery this past August, and finished up her chemotherapy and radiation treatments last Thursday. She could be available to play by late December.
#2 Terrisha Osborn - Terrisha will play mostly the three-spot and is very athletic. She is a pure scorer. Much like Tari Cummings a year ago, she is very active on the offensive end of the court.
#12 Jessica Bates - Jessica sprained her left ankle a week before practices started, and sat out the first five days of practice. She turned in her best performances with about eight weeks left in the season last year, and progressed nicely through the summer.
#20 Shelby Hutchens - Shelby came into the fall better prepared than anyone else on the team. She got stronger and improved her game. She should be an impact player this season.
#22 Kara Faulk - After seeing little playing time the second half of last season last year, Kara is close to full strength as can be seen in the preseason practices. She is a projected starter once again.
#24 Machell Roberts - Machell will start at the two-guard spot early in the season, and has the ability to play point guard. She is extremely quick off the dribble.
#32 Chantoya Hawkins - Chantoya has improved her shooting and ball-handling skills during the summer, making her a deadly threat to opposing defenses. She will start at point guard, and will be able to use her shooting skills with Roberts on the court.
#54 Nikki Lawrence - Considered the most powerful player on the team, Coach Halterman likened her to a taller, stronger Lisa McGill. Nikki will play the four spot and some center. She's got a nice shooting touch around the basket.
#55 Trisha Skibbe - One of the most athletic players on the team, Trisha is able to jump and put her hand above the rim. She's raw right now as a true freshman out of a small high school, but should come around. A post player, she has the ability to step out and shoot the three pointer.
COMING UP
The Cowgirls will host KSC Szekszard, a team from Hungary, on Monday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. in Abe Lemons Arena on the OCU Campus.
