The ball avoided the tentacles of Wonder Woman. Cowgirl Megan Byford caught the dart, turned and made a layup.
Celebration was in order. Almost three quarters into the game, OSU finally had a basket with Sylvia Fowles on the prowl.
Fowles is 6-foot-6, strong-legged and arms that seem to stretch from popcorn stand to luxury suite.
"How many girls in America look like her?” asked Cowgirl coach Kurt Budke, after sixth-ranked LSU whipped O-State 67-52 Saturday in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 at New Orleans Arena.
The answer is none, this side of a Mad Max movie.
In a weird matchup of superstars, Fowles and OSU point guard Andrea Riley, LSU won because its all-American disarmed Riley's teammates.
Riley scored 26 points and single-handedly tried to keep her team in the game. Fowles, pushed and shoved and rendered largely irrelevant offensively, remained the game's dominant force.
Think of Fowles as the Courtney Paris of defense.
Fowles had five blocked shots and it seemed like 15. Time after time, OSU's drivers went into the paint only to find themselves devoured in Fowles' petrified forest. Step aside, Dale Earnhardt. What athlete is more worthy than Fowles of your Intimidator tag?
The numbers were ugly. OSU made just five of its first 47 shots, and Riley made all five baskets. None of that is a misprint. Kristin Hernandez's layup with 14:14 left in the game was the first Cowgirl field goal not scored by Riley.
Worse yet, until Byford's basket, every OSU field goal came on a Riley 3-pointer (four) or a fast-break layup off an LSU turnover (four), when Fowles was unable to set up shop in the paint.
"We did a good job of getting into the lane all year long,” Budke said. "But it changes when she's standing there waiting on you.”
Riley's penetrations evaporated. She's 5-foot-3; no way she's getting up a shot over Fowles. Drivers Shaunte' Smith and Green were repeatedly rebuffed. OSU's offense sank into launching deep prayers, and in case no one has noticed, LSU's other defenders are piranhas, too.
"She's a great player,” Green said of Fowles. "She's long and feisty. She can alter your shot.”
Eventually, the Cowgirls found some cracks. They made 14 of their last 22 shots and scored 29 points in the final 11:30 of the game, and the final score was not total embarrassment. But the verdict long was sealed, and OSU's magical run ended.
"I'm very proud of the fact we're going to fight for 40 minutes, and that's never going to change with my program,” Budke said.
"No way in the world will I let this take away from what we've done this year. We've had an incredible year. A program-changing year. We're headed in the right direction.”
Agreed. Next year, the Cowgirls will be better equipped for this stage.
For one thing, they won't just be happy to be here. These Cowgirls were living out a rags-to-riches story and were heavy underdogs against a program seeking its fifth straight Final Four.
That can lead to contentment. Which is a problem. Teams have to play with desperation this deep into March.
These Cowgirls didn't seem crushed by the defeat, and no reason they should be. Budke is right. This was a landmark year for Cowgirl basketball. But LSU would have been crushed by defeat and played with a desperation; that's how you have to play in the Sweet 16. You can't settle. For another, OSU's superstar will be more mature. Riley is just a sophomore; a special, special sophomore, but still capable of silly stuff. Like trying to do too much, not that you could blame her Saturday.
And the physical shenanigans — Riley popped LSU's Erica White during a scrap — have got to stop. That's the second time in the post-season Riley has made news with an altercation. These are big-time games; the television cameras will find you out. Cut out the nonsense,
Otherwise, Riley was superb. She took a lot of shots, but exactly who was she supposed to pass to? Craziest stat of the day: Riley somehow had four assists, though when she fouled out with 2:22 left, she had all but seven of OSU's baskets.
The future is very, very bright, thanks to Little Miss Magic and her coach, who has brought the Cowgirls very far very quickly.
Better yet, the future will not include an NCAA Tournament showdown against Sylvia Fowles.
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I agee with you Christy. Riley should be kicked off the team and be banned from playing in the NCAA. She is a THUG, and a sorry one at that. Hit another girl on the other team like she did is bad. Ban her from all NCAA sports.
Riley is a ballhogging thug. The other players are so used to standing back and letting her jack up 30 shots a game that they forgot they were supposed to help win a game. The punch in the back of Erica White's head was classy play. That was an embarassing game to the State of Oklahoma.
Danny go back to your rock. The whole team??? C'mon now, let's not talk about the whole team. I am sure there are a few more felons in ABNORMAL,OKLAHOMA. But all that aside...the pervert is gone from OSU, so that is a tired arguement. Get a life...Cameron Trash!
you are so easy S from OKC, you swallowed the hook on that one, well since OU football players like coats, then shouldnt you be slamming your osu football player for being CONVICTED by a court of law, of a lude act of sexual matter with a minor child? Now honestly, I dont beleive that convicts the whole osu football team, so next time S from OKC before you run your mouth about an OU football player, just remember it wasnt the whole team that did it.
itmustsucktobeosu, ardmore - Mar 30, 2008 at 9:31 pm
Danny, you called me a "weirdo, hannibal guy", is that not calling names? Secondly, you will see next year. We are only losing 2 to graduation. -----------------------------------------------------------------as for the nation and their thoughts on OU...they also think of OU as school of football players going to the desert to play in a BCS bowl game only to get arrested for stealing a cheap ass jacket from Burlington Coat Factory.
and as far as envy Mr. Barry, using your same logic, is that why so many osu fans say what they do on here?
Just regarding sports, the mainstream sports, now that seems like envy to me. I know I know, "we have 48 national championships" congrats to the wrestling and golf teams, unpresidented! now that congrats have been given there, the rest isnt that impressive. Please dont start in on the learning part, osu has great classes in the ag sector i'm sure, OU has great classes in medicine, law and other fields, they are both great learning institutions, the reason I am writing that is some people like to argue about the learning end of this whole thing. To wrap this all up, I will say again , OU is the better mainstream sports university, when america think of OU they think of championships won and lost, when they think of osu they wonder where stillwater is, and that time when osu upset OU. These are not meant to hurt or disrespect, just to enlighten.
itmustsucktobeosu, ardmore - Mar 30, 2008 at 8:50 pm
your school did have a better season, no question there, but honestly, putting your kiddie insults aside, dont you agree that unless osu has another great season next year, then this year was only a fluke? Honestly, put the orange aside for one minute, if Baylor won 11 games in football would it not be a fluke? If Baylor won 11 games 2 years in a row, now that would get some attention. The OU girls may be on some sort of a slide now, but they have been a very good team for more than 2 years now. I know deep down inside you will probably see that I am telling the truth, I have not insulted anyone, and the ones who feel like they need to call names, how much class are they showing? I cant help it that I dont like osu, thats my right!
itmustsucktobeosu, ardmore - Mar 30, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Nobody is saying anything about approving or disapproving of what happened. But what you are doing is showing your envy for the fact your school does not have the best player in the state right now and OSU had a better season this year.
hey weirdo s from okc hannibal guy! Dusty was kicked off the team, he worked his way back in, I say we need to kick the whole oklahoma state university out of the state for one year, maybe to Vermont or something
itmustsucktobeosu, ardmore - Mar 30, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Fowles is the Paris of defense? Fowles is definitely not fat and out of shape like Paris. She is very athletic and an outstanding player. Great job Cowgirls for a terrific season.
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OSU's Andrea Riley, right, reacts as she walks back to the bench during a time-out late in the game against LSU in New Orleans on Saturday. The Cowgirls' bid for a place in the Elite Eight fell short. BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN
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Just regarding sports, the mainstream sports, now that seems like envy to me. I know I know, "we have 48 national championships" congrats to the wrestling and golf teams, unpresidented! now that congrats have been given there, the rest isnt that impressive. Please dont start in on the learning part, osu has great classes in the ag sector i'm sure, OU has great classes in medicine, law and other fields, they are both great learning institutions, the reason I am writing that is some people like to argue about the learning end of this whole thing. To wrap this all up, I will say again , OU is the better mainstream sports university, when america think of OU they think of championships won and lost, when they think of osu they wonder where stillwater is, and that time when osu upset OU. These are not meant to hurt or disrespect, just to enlighten.