Published: March 25, 2008 01:30 am            

Green leads scoring in Cowgirl win

DES MOINES, Iowa — Oklahoma State senior Danielle Green has been given several nicknames this season including “Diesel” and “Monster.”

She lived up to each and every one of them on Monday.

Green scored a game-high 23 points as the third-seeded and 13th-ranked Cowgirls edged No. 11 seed Florida State, 73-72, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Her output fell a point shy of matching her career high — she posted 24 against Kansas State on Feb. 28, 2007.

“I told her, ‘Go out and be a wild woman and get it done — be the Diesel,’” OSU coach Kurt Budke said. “She was the Diesel and she was very impressive. ... We knew she had to have a good night for us to win.”

During O-State’s 85-73 first-round win against 14th-seeded East Tennessee State last Saturday, Green recorded just 7 points — her third-lowest total of the year. She responded Monday with several clutch baskets including a jumper that sent the contest into overtime.

“I told you (Saturday) night that Danielle Green was not going to have another bad game,” Budke said. “That’s what it’s all about this time of year — the senior leadership has to come through if you’re going to advance in this tournament.”

Sophomore Andrea Riley added, “I just told (Green), ‘Don’t think. When you just go out there and play, there’s nobody that can stop you.’ I think she showed tremendous leadership. (The seniors) don’t want to go home, and we don’t want to let them down.”

Green is OSU’s second-leading scorer (13.7 points per outing) and also ranks second in rebounds (7.4), assists (2.6) and steals (1.7). She is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and leads the squad from 3-point range (37.5 percent).



How sweet it is

The Cowgirls are advancing to the Sweet 16 for just the second time in school history. Their last trip came in 1990-91 when they dropped a 76-61 decision to second-ranked Virginia.

“Just to be a part of this program right now when everything like this is going on is amazing,” said sophomore Megan Byford. “I wouldn’t want to be on any other team in the nation right now.”

OSU meets No. 6 Louisiana State on Saturday and a win would not only set the record for most victories in a single season, but it would also send the program to the Elite Eight for the first time.



Name that tune

Prior to Monday’s game, the Florida State band performed a rendition of “Friends in Low Places,” a song made famous by 1984 Oklahoma State graduate Garth Brooks. As the Seminole band played, several O-State fans and band members sang along.



Notables

OSU’s overtime win Monday marked the first of the Budke era. The school’s only other OT game under Budke’s direction was a 75-68 double-overtime loss to Tulsa in 20. The Cowgirls are now 2-0 in NCAA tourney games that have gone into OT. They edged Michigan State, 96-94, in triple overtime in the second round during the 1990-91 season. Monday marked the first time this season that O-State had been tied with an opponent at halftime (26-26). OSU set a school record for 3-point attempts in an NCAA tourney game with 24. Its previous high was 17 against Duke in ’95. Riley’s five assists Monday gave her 15 in her NCAA tourney career, tying her with Jodi Fisher on the program’s all-time list.



Ryan Steele writes for Stillwater (Okla.) NewsPress.