WNIT: OSU women reach final with win over San Diego

OSU's core trio of Liz Donohoe, Tiffany Bias and Toni Young combined for 62 points in the Cowgirls' 73-57 victory over San Diego at Gallagher-Iba Arena to advance to the WNIT championship game.

STILLWATER — The tale of Oklahoma State's WNIT run can largely be summed up in three parts.

Toni Young's resurgence. Liz Donohoe's continued emergence. And a dash of typical Tiffany Bias performances mixed in.

photo - Oklahoma State's Taylor Schippers (1), Liz Donohoe (4), and Tiffany Bias (3) celebrate after the women's NIT semifinal college basketball game between Oklahoma State University (OSU) and San Diego at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Oklahoma State won 73-57. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

Oklahoma State's Taylor Schippers (1), Liz Donohoe (4), and Tiffany Bias (3) celebrate after the women's NIT semifinal college basketball game between Oklahoma State University (OSU) and San Diego at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, March 28, 2012. Oklahoma State won 73-57. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman

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That was on display Wednesday night, as OSU's core trio combined for 62 points in the Cowgirls' 73-57 victory over San Diego at Gallagher-Iba Arena to advance to the WNIT championship game.

“They're just playing a lot looser, a lot freer,” OSU coach Jim Littell said. “Tiff said on the way up here it's kind of like a pickup game right now. That's kind of how we're playing, and our players are enjoying playing that way.

“Because of that, I think all three of them have been more productive and have been able to use their athletic ability.”

OSU (21-12) will host James Madison, which beat Syracuse 74-71 in Wednesday's other semifinal, at 2 p.m. Saturday in the program's first appearance in the WNIT championship game.

Young set a season-high with 27 points, eclipsing her mark of 22 set less than two weeks ago against Central Arkansas in the tournament's first round. Donohoe scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for her fourth consecutive double-double and seventh overall this season. Bias scored 15 points and added eight assists to help facilitate an offense that recorded its second-best shooting performance of the season (51.9 percent) — and its best since the season opener against Rice.

“You just see them evolve into a better player,” Bias said of Young and Donohoe. “That's what these extra games do for you is just allow you play and get some extra games under your belt and allow everyone to click. Their shots are falling.

“Usually, at the end of the season, people are dead tired and things aren't falling. But as our season's going, everyone's improving.”

It was a game that was never in doubt from the midpoint of the first half on.

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