In a season marked by ups and downs, the Longhorns’ hopes of finishing off their regular season on a high note were dashed as they lost 68-67 in a nail-biting comeback effort at Oklahoma State on Saturday.
Senior Kathleen Nash led the way for Texas (18-12, 7-9 Big 12), in what was her last regular season game before graduating, recording her ninth double-double of the season. Nash tallied 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
For a team that has worked extremely hard this season, winning its final game on the road was crucial.
The Longhorns stepped up early as they built an 11-5 lead, but they could not hold on for long as OSU capitalized on a 15-0 scoring run. Texas managed to stay focused as it only allowed OSU nine additional points after the eight-minute mark of the first half. At the half, Texas had cut OSU’s lead to only a point.
While it was a game honoring the Cowgirls’ seniors, the freshmen stole the show as Tiffany Bias led her squad with 21 points. Fellow freshman Vicky McIntyre followed close behind with 15 points.
“When you’re led by freshmen to any win in the Big 12, it’s exciting,” said OSU head coach Kurt Budke.
True to form, Texas wouldn’t go down without a fight. Junior Yvonne Anderson hit a three-pointer with a 1:03 left in the game. A 9-3 Texas pushed the team to within four points of OSU’s lead. But it wouldn’t be enough as the freshman Bias stepped up driving through Texas’ defense for both a layup and a foul resulting in two free throws, which she made.
Both Bias and McIntyre capitalized on a weak Texas defense as they stopped Texas’ momentum in the final minutes of regulation to secure much-needed baskets for their squad.
For Texas, a high note to its loss was rebounding. The Longhorns outrebounded their opponents by a count of 52-37.
Anderson led the squad with a game-high 21 points, racking up five rebounds of her own.
After drohpping its finale, Texas is left to wonder whether or not the loss will have any affect on its hopes for an NCAA bid. But for right now, Texas must remain focused as it has little time to rest and prepare for the Big 12 tournament, which for the Longhorns begins Tuesday evening against Missouri.
