Title IX At 50: Cutting Down The Nets

As we celebrate 50 years of Title IX, travel back in time with us as we recount several program-defining moments throughout the history of Cowgirl Basketball which have helped shape the program.

While taking the floor well after the start of the program, the 1989-90 Cowgirl squad was one comprised of pioneers of a different kind. Head coach Dick Halterman's squad will forever be known for breaking through to capture the program's first conference tournament title.

A year after falling in the tournament final in double overtime to Colorado, this Cowgirl edition secured the league's automatic berth for the 48-team NCAA tournament with a 72-65 victory over Kansas State in their return trip to the title game.

OSU's all-conference backcourt of Althea Cox and Liz Brown had led the charge all season for the Cowgirls. The tandem did combine for 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists against the Wildcats on the way to all-tournament honors, including MVP status for Cox, but it was a pair of freshmen who emerged as unlikely heroes to help Halterman's crew across the line.

Shea Jackson played 39 minutes against the Wildcats, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Lisa McGill was dominant off the bench for OSU. In just 20 minutes, she hit eight of her 11 shots en route to a team-high 16 points to go with seven rebounds.

"It is easy to smile when you know you have those two coming back for three more years," Halterman said.

In what was essentially a home game for K-State in front of 5,325 mostly purple-clad fans inside Salina's Bicentennial Center, the Cowgirls erased an 11-point Wildcat lead in the first half on their way to victory.

With 14 minutes to go, K-State still maintained a 45-40 lead before the Cowgirls reeled off a 12-0 run. OSU would extend the margin to 13 with six minutes to go before the Wildcats made one final charge. Having seen their lead whittled down to two at 66-64 with 2:15 left on the clock, the Cowgirls used a 5-0 burst initiated by McGill to earn a trip to the top of the ladder to cut down the nets.

"You kind of expect it from Cox and Brown, but McGill was a big key in the game and Shea is going to be a fine player in this league," K-State interim coach Gaye Griffin said.

After an uncharacteristic start to the tournament, Cox bounced back in a big way to secure MVP honors. After missing her first nine shots from the floor in OSU's opener against Kansas, she would drill the game-winning 3-pointer with 24 seconds remaining in a 66-65 victory over the Jayhawks. A 36-point outburst against in-state rival Oklahoma in the semifinals would follow, propelling the Cowgirls into the title game. She would finish with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists in the finale.

The run was significant on many levels for a squad that entered play with a 17-10 record, tied for fourth place in the league standings and with its NCAA hopes hanging in the balance.

"The first night I was kind of struggling, but the second night I started to think we can win this thing," Cox said. "In high school, my team never made it to the state tournament and last year we made it to the finals of the Big Eight tournament."

"This is my first actual title and now we will get to wear a Big Eight ring."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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