Cowgirls Fall to No. 1 UCLA 87-68 in NCAA Tournament Second Round

The Cowgirls squared off with top-seeded UCLA, but ultimately, the Bruins' height advantage and plethora of offensive firepower was too much to overcome.

No. 8 Oklahoma State lost to UCLA 87-68 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday at Pauley Pavilion, bringing an end to Year 4 of the Jacie Hoyt era in Stillwater.

Junior forward Achol Akot led the Cowgirls (24-10) with 23 points, to go with three rebounds, while sophomore guard Jadyn Wooten had 18 points and six assists off the bench. However, Bruins star center Lauren Betts' career-high 35 points was costly in the end. She was 15-for-19 shooting from the floor and stifled any momentum or late run OSU made down the stretch.

The Bruins (33-1) stormed to an early 11-2 advantage, taking a 21-6 lead into the second quarter. OSU, known for its 3-point shooting potency, struggled from deep with a 1-for-10 from beyond the arc and 2-for-16 overall through the first quarter. Akot, who was a catalyst in the Cowgirls' first-round win against Princeton with a 28-point outing, picked up two early fouls. And the Bruins took advantage, leading 46-26 at the half.

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OSU was only outscored by four points in the final three quarters. UCLA led by as many as 25, before OSU trimmed the lead to 14, courtesy of a late run. But the Bruins caught fire down the stretch, eventually eclipsing the 20-point mark once again for their lead and never lost control.

Despite the loss, OSU heads into the offseason with a handful of silver linings in retrospect. On Friday, the Cowgirls secured their first NCAA Tournament win since 2021, and their first under Hoyt. Additionally, OSU is likely to return a multitude of key contributors, including but not limited to Akot, Wooten, junior Amari Whiting, freshman Lena Girardi and junior Stailee Heard.

While the losses of veteran guards Micah Gray and Haleigh Timmer won't be easy to overcome, the positive program momentum is immense, and will likely be of benefit for Hoyt and Co. this offseason.