A coach is hired, a schoolgirl signs. A team believes, a spark ignites. A whistle blows, a ball goes swish.

After Andrea Riley 's weight-of-the-world foul shot found its mark, and a hearty band of Cowgirls celebrated with the kind of glee reserved for suspenseful victory, and the Oklahoma State spirit band chanted the name of the man who steered the ship, the real...