Oklahoma State University Athletics
Anatomy Of A Comeback
March 20, 2020 | Cowgirl Basketball
What if we told you …
Ten years ago today, Oklahoma State's women's basketball team recorded one of the largest comeback victories in NCAA Championship history and did so without the services of one of the nation's top players.
The Scene: NCAA Championship First Round (Sacramento Region)
OSU entered play as the No. 4 seed in Tempe, Ariz., with a 23-10 record. However, the Cowgirls were without the services of All-American Andrea Riley and her 26.6 points (3rd nationally) and 6.5 assists (7th nationally) per game.
The Foe: Chattanooga (24-8, No. 13 seed, Southern Conference Champions)
The Situation: OSU trailed, 35-16, with 1:19 to go in the first half
A Tale of Two Halves
The First 20
· OSU struggled to find its footing offensively in the first 20 minutes. The Cowgirls shot 17 percent (6 of 35), including a 1-of-13 effort from senior standout Tegan Cunningham, who paired with Riley to enter the tournament as the nation's top scoring duo at 42.8 points per game.
· During one stretch, the Cowgirls missed 15 shots in a row as the Lady Mocs built a 29-10 lead with 9:53 left in the half.
· OSU scored a season-low 19 points and was 0-12 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half.
The Second 20
· Chattanooga turned it over three-straight times in the first two-plus minutes of the second half and the comeback was underway.
· OSU opened the half with the first six points and used a 16-3 run over the first five and a half minutes to get within five.
· Nine minutes into the half, the Lady Mocs had more turnovers (11) than points (six).
· Precious Robinson's layup tied it at 48-48 with 9:09 to play and Oklahoma State took the lead on Megan Byford's two free throws with 7:47 to go.
· The Lady Mocs would retake the lead for the final time 15 seconds later before Cunningham would score eight of the game's next 15 points to put OSU in front by six.
· Chattanooga would get within one with 3:23 to play, but OSU scored the next eight points en route to it 70-63 victory.
· OSU prevailed despite not making a 3-pointer in the contest, going 0 for 15 from beyond the arc.
The Timeline
15:00 — OSU trailed, 17-10
10:00 — OSU trailed, 26-10
5:00 — OSU trailed, 29-10
Half — OSU trailed, 37-19
15:00 — OSU trailed, 40-29
10:00 — OSU trailed, 48-46
5:00 — OSU led, 60-53
00:00 — OSU prevailed, 70-63
Survive and Advance
According to STATS, OSU's victory marked the biggest halftime comeback in 11 years, besting the previous mark of 12. The victory still stands as the second-largest comeback in tourney history, trailing only Texas A&M's 21-point rally against Penn in 2017.
"I've been in this a long time now and I think that's the biggest win I've ever been associated with. It's one thing to come back and get a win, but it's another thing to get your butt beat for 20 minutes and figure out a way to come back without your star. We were down 14 to Texas with seven minutes to go and found a way to do it. The thing that was special about today was that we did it without Andrea Riley and I'm just so proud of these kids. It's a very emotional locker room right now." — OSU head coach Kurt Budke
Recipe For Success
· Cunningham poured in 19 of her game-high 25 after the intermission on 8-of-12 shooting.
"I told Andrea that I was going to do everything I could to get this win for her. I finally hit a shot and it was a bit of a relief. I kept looking at her on the way down the court and it was hard when she's not out there. I'm so used to playing with her, but she really reassured me that I needed to keep shooting the ball. She had just as much faith as anyone else on this team, so it was nice to look at her and know she believes in me." — Tegan Cunningham
· Toni Young scored 16 of her 22 points after the break, hitting seven of her nine shot attempts.
· The Cowgirls shot a scorching 60 percent (21-35) in the second half to outscore the Lady Mocs 51-26 in the second half.
· OSU used a fullcourt press to force 17 second-half turnovers on which it scored 18 points.
Unsung Hero
Filling in for her roommate at the point guard position was Ally Clardy, who dished out 49 assists during her four-year career and recorded 10 of those (all in the second half) in the game. She also tallied three steals and turned it over just once in 25 minutes.
"She's my roommate and my friend for four years. It would absolutely kill me to play my last game without her. I want her on the floor with me. We did this for her, but we did it for ourselves. No one thought we could do it and that was our biggest push to go get it. We love surprising people and I'm so proud of my teammates. It was unbelievable." — Ally Clardy
Ten years ago today, Oklahoma State's women's basketball team recorded one of the largest comeback victories in NCAA Championship history and did so without the services of one of the nation's top players.
The Scene: NCAA Championship First Round (Sacramento Region)
OSU entered play as the No. 4 seed in Tempe, Ariz., with a 23-10 record. However, the Cowgirls were without the services of All-American Andrea Riley and her 26.6 points (3rd nationally) and 6.5 assists (7th nationally) per game.
The Foe: Chattanooga (24-8, No. 13 seed, Southern Conference Champions)
The Situation: OSU trailed, 35-16, with 1:19 to go in the first half
A Tale of Two Halves
The First 20
· OSU struggled to find its footing offensively in the first 20 minutes. The Cowgirls shot 17 percent (6 of 35), including a 1-of-13 effort from senior standout Tegan Cunningham, who paired with Riley to enter the tournament as the nation's top scoring duo at 42.8 points per game.
· During one stretch, the Cowgirls missed 15 shots in a row as the Lady Mocs built a 29-10 lead with 9:53 left in the half.
· OSU scored a season-low 19 points and was 0-12 from beyond the 3-point arc in the first half.
The Second 20
· Chattanooga turned it over three-straight times in the first two-plus minutes of the second half and the comeback was underway.
· OSU opened the half with the first six points and used a 16-3 run over the first five and a half minutes to get within five.
· Nine minutes into the half, the Lady Mocs had more turnovers (11) than points (six).
· Precious Robinson's layup tied it at 48-48 with 9:09 to play and Oklahoma State took the lead on Megan Byford's two free throws with 7:47 to go.
· The Lady Mocs would retake the lead for the final time 15 seconds later before Cunningham would score eight of the game's next 15 points to put OSU in front by six.
· Chattanooga would get within one with 3:23 to play, but OSU scored the next eight points en route to it 70-63 victory.
· OSU prevailed despite not making a 3-pointer in the contest, going 0 for 15 from beyond the arc.
The Timeline
15:00 — OSU trailed, 17-10
10:00 — OSU trailed, 26-10
5:00 — OSU trailed, 29-10
Half — OSU trailed, 37-19
15:00 — OSU trailed, 40-29
10:00 — OSU trailed, 48-46
5:00 — OSU led, 60-53
00:00 — OSU prevailed, 70-63
Survive and Advance
According to STATS, OSU's victory marked the biggest halftime comeback in 11 years, besting the previous mark of 12. The victory still stands as the second-largest comeback in tourney history, trailing only Texas A&M's 21-point rally against Penn in 2017.
"I've been in this a long time now and I think that's the biggest win I've ever been associated with. It's one thing to come back and get a win, but it's another thing to get your butt beat for 20 minutes and figure out a way to come back without your star. We were down 14 to Texas with seven minutes to go and found a way to do it. The thing that was special about today was that we did it without Andrea Riley and I'm just so proud of these kids. It's a very emotional locker room right now." — OSU head coach Kurt Budke
Recipe For Success
· Cunningham poured in 19 of her game-high 25 after the intermission on 8-of-12 shooting.
"I told Andrea that I was going to do everything I could to get this win for her. I finally hit a shot and it was a bit of a relief. I kept looking at her on the way down the court and it was hard when she's not out there. I'm so used to playing with her, but she really reassured me that I needed to keep shooting the ball. She had just as much faith as anyone else on this team, so it was nice to look at her and know she believes in me." — Tegan Cunningham
· Toni Young scored 16 of her 22 points after the break, hitting seven of her nine shot attempts.
· The Cowgirls shot a scorching 60 percent (21-35) in the second half to outscore the Lady Mocs 51-26 in the second half.
· OSU used a fullcourt press to force 17 second-half turnovers on which it scored 18 points.
Unsung Hero
Filling in for her roommate at the point guard position was Ally Clardy, who dished out 49 assists during her four-year career and recorded 10 of those (all in the second half) in the game. She also tallied three steals and turned it over just once in 25 minutes.
"She's my roommate and my friend for four years. It would absolutely kill me to play my last game without her. I want her on the floor with me. We did this for her, but we did it for ourselves. No one thought we could do it and that was our biggest push to go get it. We love surprising people and I'm so proud of my teammates. It was unbelievable." — Ally Clardy
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