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Oklahoma State Women's Basketball Dominates Langston in Exhibition Without Liv McGill
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- Oklahoma State Women's Basketball Dominates Langston in Exhibition Without Liv McGill
(William Purnell-Imagn Images)
STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State women's basketball delivered a dominant performance in its exhibition opener Tuesday night, defeating Langston 117-44 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Cowgirls showcased their offensive depth and perimeter shooting in their first public appearance ahead of the 2026-27 regular season, despite playing without highly touted Florida transfer Liv McGill.
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Head coach Jacie Hoyt's team shot 53.6% from the field, made 17 three-pointers and recorded 26 assists while overwhelming the NAIA opponent. Oklahoma State outscored Langston in all four quarters, building a 55-20 halftime lead before adding 62 points in the second half.
Deng Leads Balanced Offensive Performance
Yuting Deng led Oklahoma State with 20 points as the Cowgirls produced an impressive offensive showing. Returning standout Stailee Heard contributed 18 points, six rebounds and five assists, shooting 4-of-9 from the field and making eight of her 10 free throws.
Iowa State transfer Audi Crooks added 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds in 24 minutes. Crooks shot an efficient 4-of-5 from the field while collecting five offensive rebounds. LA Sneed also made a significant impact as a distributor, finishing with 10 assists.
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Oklahoma State's ball movement was a major part of the offensive performance. The Cowgirls recorded 26 assists on 37 made field goals while committing just 10 turnovers.
Three-Point Shooting Fuels Blowout
Oklahoma State was particularly effective from beyond the arc, converting 17 of its 34 three-point attempts. The Cowgirls shot 50% from deep, with their 17 makes accounting for 51 of their 117 points.
Langston, meanwhile, struggled to generate offense against Oklahoma State's defense. The Lions shot just 26.7% from the field and 15% from three-point range, making only three of their 20 attempts from beyond the arc.
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Oklahoma State also controlled the rebounding battle, 56-27, including a 17-8 advantage on the offensive glass. The Cowgirls forced 18 turnovers while committing only 10, finishing with 12 steals and four blocked shots. Langston's Janiyah Tucker led the Lions with 17 points.
McGill Sits Out Exhibition
One of the notable developments from Tuesday's exhibition was the absence of Liv McGill. The Florida transfer was named to the Nancy Lieberman Award preseason watch list earlier this week and enters the season as the Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year.
McGill averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season at Florida, making her one of Oklahoma State's most anticipated additions. Her absence meant the Cowgirls' first exhibition did not provide a complete look at the offensive lineup Hoyt could deploy during the regular season. Even without McGill, Oklahoma State demonstrated its ability to generate offense through multiple contributors.
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Putting the Result in Perspective
While the 73-point victory was impressive, Langston competes at the NAIA level, making it difficult to project how Tuesday's performance will translate against Division I competition.
Still, the Cowgirls displayed several encouraging statistical signs, particularly their perimeter efficiency, ball movement and rebounding.
Oklahoma State enters the season as the Big 12 preseason favorite, with Crooks named the conference's Preseason Player of the Year and McGill earning Preseason Newcomer of the Year honors.
Tuesday's exhibition did not count toward Oklahoma State's regular-season record, but it offered an early glimpse of the Cowgirls' offensive potential. The next step will be translating that production against stronger competition when the regular season begins.
