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Sun March 30, 2008

OSU basketball notebook

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Cowgirl thank-you

After OSU coach Kurt Budke shook hands with the LSU team, he walked onto the court with a thumbs-up sign to the 300 or so Cowgirl fans wearing orange. OSU star Andrea Riley walked over and clapped for the crowd, then all the Cowgirls joined her in hugs and high-fives with the fans.




"I just wanted the team to go over there and say ‘thank you,'” Riley said. "They were so proud of us. We really appreciate them. They chartered a plane from Stillwater just to get here. That shows you that they love us.”

•Hot hands: With 11:30 left in the game, LSU led 36-23. At that point, OSU had made just eight of 54 shots, and LSU was not exactly hot itself, making 14 of 44.

But over the final 11 1/2 minutes, LSU outscored OSU 31-29. The Cowgirls made 14 of 22 shots and LSU made 11 of 16.

"The game was just dead,” said OSU's Taylor Hardeman. "When we hit shots, it got us going. I get the feeling us getting riled up got them riled up.”

•Solid rookies: Freshmen Kristin Hernandez and Alex Richardson gave the Cowgirls some solid minutes Saturday. Hernandez was OSU's second-leading scorer, with eight points, and had four rebounds, in 17 minutes. Richardson, who had played sparingly since New Year's, had four rebounds and a blocked shot in nine minutes.

"They've both been on the edge all year,” Budke said. "I thought both played well. And (sophomore) Megan Byford. Those three came in and contributed right away.

"Kristin Hernandez doesn't back down from anybody. The look on her face in that locker room was a look of confidence.”

•Fowles frustrated: LSU all-American Sylvia Fowles had 12 points and 11 rebounds but made just five of 11 shots. OSU's zone packed in against the 6-foot-6 Fowles. Fowles had just eight points the first 34 minutes.

"I finally calmed down the last few minutes of the game and told myself, ‘You know, you're used to this,'” Fowles said. "Then my game came back to me. In the beginning, I think I did a lot of rushing.”

OSU backup centers Byford and Alex Richardson "did a good job shoving around in there,” Budke said. "You're talking about one of the great centers in the history of our game.”

•Cordero ill: OSU senior center Maria Cordero remained sick, as she had been much of the week, and played only 16 minutes, with no points and one rebound.

"I appreciate her trying to gut it out,” Budke said. "She didn't have her energy today.”

Budke said that in the postgame locker room, he thanked seniors Cordero and Green. "They mean the world to me,” he said, looking at Green during the press conference. "Danielle, we love you and always will. MC, too.”

•Officiating changes? The game was very physical, but foul calls were not that many: 19 against OSU, 10 against LSU.

Budke said a change is needed. "The game was fair; nobody got cheated,” he said. "But we have to address how we call games during the year and how we do it now (in the postseason). It is more physical now. It's to that danger point of physical.”

Budke said coaches are talking more and more about the problem but that nothing has been organized in protest.

•Poor crowd: The session drew just 4,181 fans at New Orleans Arena. "Where are the LSU fans?” Budke asked. "That's disappointing. In Oklahoma City, we're going to have 10(,000)-plus or more.”

Budke lamented not being placed in the Oklahoma City Regional but noted that OKC hosts a regional again next season. "OK,” he said. "Let's go to work.”

•Notable fans: Among the Cowgirl fan contingent Saturday was benefactor Boone Pickens and PGA golfer Bob Tway. OSU athletic director Mike Holder sat between the two, four rows off the floor at New Orleans Arena. Tway played in the Zurich Classic, New Orleans' PGA Tour stop, but missed the cut Friday.

By John Helsley and Berry Tramel

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