Published: March 25, 2008 12:59 am            

Cowgirls go from 0-16 to Sweet 16

DES MOINES, Iowa — Andrea Riley had always dreamed of the opportunity to be the heroine in an NCAA Tournament game.

Her wish was granted Monday.

With the score tied at 72-72 in overtime, the Oklahoma State sophomore was fouled with 0.7 seconds left and sent to the free-throw line with two chances to win the game.

Her first attempt drew nothing but iron. Her next shot sent the Cowgirls to the Sweet 16.

Riley hit the game-winning free throw to lead third-seeded and 13th-ranked OSU past No. 11 seed Florida State, 73-72, in the second round of the NCAA tourney in front of 7,728 fans at Wells Fargo Arena.

“For it to come down to me, I’ve been waiting my whole life for it to be right there at that moment,” Riley said. “I see it on TV, and I wanted it to be me. To see everyone with smiles on their faces, I didn’t want to disappoint them. I did what I had to do.”

Monday’s finish was the exclamation point on a classic contest that included 20 lead changes and 17 ties.

A free throw by Shante Williams gave FSU a 65-63 advantage with 20.4 seconds left in regulation, but O-State senior Danielle Green connected on a crucial jumper at the 13-second mark and sent the game into OT.

Senior Maria Cordero’s 3-pointer from the wing put the Cowgirls on top, 70-65, with 1:35 remaining in the extra period, but Tanae Davis-Cain’s free throw and a trey by Mara Freshour narrowed the gap to 70-69.

After sophomore Megan Byford’s putback gave OSU a 72-69 lead, Freshour responded with another trey with 12 seconds left.

Riley held on to the ball for the last 9 seconds and just before the buzzer sounded, she went up for a difficult shot inside the arc and Williams was whistled for the foul. The officials reviewed the play on a television monitor and put 0.7 seconds back on the clock.

The rest became instant history for Riley and the Cowgirls.

“(Riley) wanted to have the last shot in the game and that’s her specialty,” said OSU coach Kurt Budke. “With everything she’s done this year, we’re going to live and die with the decisions she makes at the end of the game.”

The Cowgirls (27-7) advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1990-91 and will meet second-seeded and sixth-ranked Louisiana State on Saturday in New Orleans. Monday’s victory also tied the school record for most wins in a single season.

Not bad for a team that went 6-22 overall and 0-16 in Big 12 play just two years ago.

“When you can go from 0-16 to the Sweet 16, I think that says enough in itself right there,” Budke said. “These kids have a lot of fight in them. I think there’s a lot of teams in this country that have more talent than what we’re throwing out there, but we just find a way.”

Junior Taylor Hardeman — who was a member of the 0-16 squad — said, “It’s just a blessing because this program was really in the dirt when I first got here and we’ve worked our way out. This team can do anything.”

The Cowgirls survived despite a subpar shooting night. They went 1-of-15 behind the arc in the first 20 minutes but managed to keep the contest tied 26-26 at intermission thanks in part to a Seminole scoring drought that lasted nearly 8 minutes.

Green led OSU with 23 points, Riley — who went 8-of-25 from the field but accounted for six steals and five assists — added 21 and Hardeman chipped in with 11. Cordero and junior Shaunté Smith each recorded 11 rebounds.

For FSU, which ended its season at 19-14, Freshour scored a team-best 20 points, Williams added 19 and Jacinta Monroe posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 boards.

The Cowgirls will now face a club that is aiming for its fifth straight Final Four appearance. A win against LSU (29-5) on Saturday would send OSU into uncharted territory — the program has never qualified for the Elite Eight.

“We can go in there and get an upset because we have a lot of heart and believe we can play with anybody in the country,” Riley said. “We’re not going to go out there scared.”



Ryan Steele writes for Stillwater (Okla.) NewsPress.