The Oklahoma State Cowgirls did just about everything right in their season opening 81-39 victory over southern at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Monday night.
Oklahoma State (1-0) Got out to an early lead and was up by nearly 30 points by halftime. That allowed head coach Jacie Hoyt to play 11 players, including nine for at least 13 minutes. She also got her point guard on the floor. Liv McGill missed the exhibition game last week with an issue Hoyt described "day-to-day."
McGill was able to start and scored seven points while grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out five assists.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Oklahoma State center Audi Crooks. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Scrutinizing the starting lineup from the first game that matters each season yielded one significant answer - who would be the fifth starter?
It turned out to be guard Yuting Deng, who gives the Cowgirls more length in the backcourt. While she only scored four points, she did grab 12 rebounds, one of two OSU players that corralled at least 10 rebounds.
That pushed LA Sneed to the bench with the return of McGill to the lineup. The remaining starters mimicked what the Cowgirls did in the exhibition game - center Audi Crooks, guard Nene Ndiaye and guard Stailee Heard.
All five played at least 23 minutes and none played more than 27, allowing Hoyt to run different groups of players together. As one might expect, Crooks - the No. 1 player in the transfer portal last offseason - led the Cowgirls with 22 points. Ndiaye had 16 points and made three 3 -pointers while Heard had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Oklahoma State guard Callin Hake. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Callin Hake first became eligible in August when she received a temporary restraining order in a court case that gave her a fifth year of eligibility. Having already placed her name in the transfer portal she joined Oklahoma State.
But it wasn't until October, just before Big 12 Media Days, that Hake won an order that likely allows her to remain eligible the rest of the season. Monday was her debut as she did not play in the exhibition game. It gave us our first look at how Hoyt might use someone she believes can be a glue player for her team.
Hake played 21 minutes and scored nine points - all on a trio of 3-pointers - with two rebounds, four assists and three steals. She's set up to be either a backup point guard or a backup off guard. Her addition should give the Cowgirls one of the deepest backcourts in the Big 12. She looked like she already fit in even though she has only been on campus for three months.
Oklahoma State guard Nene Ndiaye. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Oklahoma State should have outmatched Southern, even though the Jaguars are back-to-back SWAC Tournament Champions and have been to the NCAA Tournament each of the last two years. But the Cowgirls put intense pressure on them early and finished the contest with 12 steals, with Ndiaye finishing with a team-high four.
Southern shot just 25.4% from the floor, including 21.7% from the 3-point line and committed 18 turnovers.
The Cowgirls need to go from having a good defense to a great defense if they want to fulfill the expectations Hoyt has, which includes challenging for a Big 12 championship and making a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Monday was a promising start. But OSU needs tests against tougher competition and that's coming.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as Three Takeaways from Oklahoma State Cowgirls' Impressive Season-Opening Win over Southern .
