BYU women's basketball stuns No. 20 Oklahoma State in thrilling home victory
On the anniversary of its last win over a No. 20 ranked team, BYU women’s basketball pulled off another upset, taking down No. 20 Oklahoma State 68-64 at the Marriott Center on Saturday afternoon.
The victory marked the Cougars’ first win over a ranked opponent since last season’s triumph over then-No. 18 Baylor.
Emma Calvert led the charge with 19 points and seven rebounds, while freshman Delaney Gibb filled the stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Amari Whiting contributed nine points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals as BYU (13-12, 4-10 Big 12) snapped a two-game skid.
The game started rough for the Cougars, who fell behind 9-0 early. However, Calvert and Kendra Gillespie responded, combining for nine first-quarter points to help close the gap.
Despite committing 16 turnovers in the first half, BYU fought back, tying the game at 31-31 going into halftime after Gibb’s buzzer-beating layup.
Oklahoma State’s star player, Stailee Heard, was largely neutralized by BYU’s defense, scoring just five points on 1-of-6 shooting. Though the Cowgirls regained momentum and took a 51-47 lead into the fourth quarter, the Cougars surged back, outscoring them 21-13 in the final period.
Whiting’s playmaking proved crucial down the stretch, setting up Calvert for a key basket that put BYU ahead 60-58 with under four minutes to go.
Then, in a pivotal moment, freshman Kambree Barber grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed Whiting free throw and scored on the putback, extending BYU’s lead to 64-60 with just 29 seconds remaining.
Oklahoma State’s Micah Gray responded with a three-pointer to cut the lead to one, but Gibb and Calvert calmly knocked down free throws to seal the win.
The Cougars held Oklahoma State to just 21% shooting from beyond the arc and dominated the rebounding battle 39-28.
With two weeks left in the regular season, BYU now turns its focus to a road matchup against Arizona on Feb. 19, followed by a home game against Arizona State on Feb. 22.