For the Oklahoma State Cowgirls , Friday's matchup with the Morgan State Bears turned into another showcase for a highly talented team.
The Cowgirls (2-0) won, 92-38, as Oklahoma State held Morgan State to just 23 points in the first 30 minutes of the game. That was more than enough for OSU to cruise to the win. Center Audi Crooks had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds but only played 19 minutes. Considering the Cowgirls' hot start, they didn't need a complete game from Crooks.
They got it from other players. Here are three takeaways from the game.
In basketball, it's called a "Laettner." Named for former Duke star Christian Laettner, he went 10-for-10 from the floor and 10-for-10 from the free throw line for 31 points in the Blue Devils' 104-103 overtime win over Kentucky in the Elite Eight of the 1992 NCAA Tournament.
In other words, it's a perfect shooting night - and Cowgirls guard Nene Ndiaye had one.
Ndiaye finished with 16 points, including 4-for-4 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line in 26 minutes. She also drained a pair of 3-pointers.
It didn't have quite the gravity of Laettner's game and he scored more points. But perfection is rare in basketball and that's something to be celebrated. Ndiaye may never have another game like it.
Oklahoma State guard Liv McGill. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
There were questions whether guard Liv McGill would play against Southern in the opener. There were no questions going into Friday's game. If she was hesitant at all against Southern, she's done with that.
The Florida transfer had an impressive game, scoring a team-high 24 points with eight rebounds and eight assists in 27 minutes. She shot 50% from the floor and 8-for-12 from the free throw line. She also limited the turnovers (just three) and had a game-high four steals.
That's the kind of dynamic game that the Cowgirls need from her every night. Her offense was helpful after guard Stailee Heard got into foul trouble and only scored two points in 17 minutes.
Oklahoma State guard Talexa Weeter. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Figuring out who OSU's sixth player should be will probably take some time. Against Southern, that player turned out to be guard Ellie Brueggmann. On Friday, that player turned out to be Talexa Weeter.
She finished with 11 points, including eight rebounds and a blocked shot in 24 minutes. She was coming off a debut in which she had five points with five rebounds, an assist and two steals in 16 minutes. Heard's foul trouble got Weeter some additional playing time and she made it pay off.
Weeter was the Division II player of the year at Fort Hays State last season and transferred to the Cowgirls with the hopes of showing that she can play at this level. It's going to take time to carve out roles outside of the starting five. But Weeter's scoring ability is well-proven and sixth players tend to fall in two categories - instant offense or instant defense.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as Three Takeaways from Oklahoma State Cowgirls' Win over Morgan State: Nene Ndiaye is Perfect .
