Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Arkansas
Razorbacks Edge Out Cowgirls, 81-78
December 19, 2001 | Cowgirl Basketball
Dec. 19, 2001
FAYETTEVILLE - Junior India Lewis scored 17 points to pace the University of Arkansas Lady Razorback basketball team to an 81-78 win against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at Bud Walton Arena on Wednesday evening.
The win improves the Lady Razorbacks to 7-2 on the season while Oklahoma State falls to 5-4.
Trailing by 10 through most of the second half, Arkansas found its opportunity with five minutes to go in the contest when it capitalized on Oklahoma State turnovers and made key shots including a three from Amy Wright to come within three. Dana Cherry hit a lay up moments later, and drew a foul to put the Lady'Backs down by one prompting Oklahoma State to call a timeout. Following the break in action, Cherry would sink her shot from the charity stripe to tie the game at 71 with 3:24 left.
Feeling the momentum of the contest following their last second three to close the first half, Oklahoma State took the game right to the Lady Razorbacks in the second half with a nine point lead at the first media timeout.
"Their pressure and poor decisions on our part was what got them back in the game," OSU head coach Dick Halterman said. "This will be a real tough one to get over. We felt that we had the ability to come in here and win."
Arkansas head coach Gary Blair was complimentary of his team. "The cardiac kids are back. We forced turnovers, then we converted on those turnovers. It was huge. We like to stay in the press because when you're up in their face thy're going to make mistakes."
After a three point play by Oklahoma State's Chantoya Hawkins, Shameka Christon hit a long two-pointer for the Lady Razorbacks followed by a three from the corner by India Lewis to give Arkansas its first lead since the closing moments of the first half. The Cowgirls would come right back down the floor and knot the game at 76 as the clock ticked under two minutes.
A Christon lay up put the Lady'Backs up by two at the one minute mark, then a steal by Wright put the ball in Arkansas' hands with 40 seconds to go. Attempting to force a pass down low, Arkansas turned the ball over, but Wright stole the inbound pass and was fouled with 14.8 on the clock putting her on the line with two free throws. Wright hit one of two, but after gaining possession of the rebound, Oklahoma State was called for a double dribble giving the ball back to Arkansas with 12.2 left and holding a three point, 79-76 lead. The Lady Razorbacks hit free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.
Oklahoma State dominated the first five-plus minutes of the half with a 14-4 run, similar to what the Lady Razorbacks started the game with. Fueling the Cowgirl run over the seven-minute span were six turnovers by the Lady Razorbacks, the same number that they committed the entire first half.
"We knew that we had to come out with intensity," said Oklahoma State's Shelby Hutchens. "We had to step up in the second half."
The Lady Razorbacks opened the contest with a 5-0 run before the Cowgirls got on the board with a two-foot jumper. Following Oklahoma State's basket, Arkansas rattled off another five straight points to make the score 10-2 as the clock approached 16 minutes. Down by eight, the Cowgirls rallied to come within two before Arkansas broke the run.
Fouls dominated the early going as 12 personals (seven on Arkansas and five on Oklahoma State) were called during the first nine and a half minutes. The Lady Razorbacks starting point guard, Wright, was forced to sit at the 18:19 mark when she was nabbed for her second foul and did not return to the court until 3:07.
Arkansas opened up their first 10-point lead on a tough lay-up by Cherry at 8:06 making the score 20-9. The Lady'Backs took their biggest lead of the half at 12 on a pair of Cherry free throws just before the eight-minute media time out. Undaunted, the Cowgirls came back to within four before an India Lewis three-pointer from the top of the key temporarily stopped their momentum.
With just over three minutes to go, Oklahoma State's Thia Willis drilled a three from the left side to pull the Cowgirls within two. The Lady Razorbacks barely held on to their lead through the closing moments of the half. Up by four with 39.6 on the clock, Oklahoma State hit a 10-foot running jumper with five seconds on the clock, then stole a pass by Christon and drilled a three with 0.03 left to gain their first lead of the contest as the buzzer sounded.
Lewis would lead all scorers in the contest with 17 points, as five Lady Razorbacks netted double-digit scores. Right behind Lewis was Christon with 16 and Joy Oakley, Lakishia Harper and Cherry netted 12, 12 and 11, respectively. Oklahoma State had four score in double figures, led by Tari Cummings and Willis with 16. Hawkins and Trisha Skibbe scored 12 and 11. Skibbe was the game's leading rebounder with 10.
The Cowgirls will return to action on Friday when they host Marshall at 7 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
