Oklahoma
As Oklahoma State basketball continues Big 12 play, what have we learned about Cowgirls?
OSU women’s basketball coach Jacie Hoyt with baby Harlow, who got her first Big 12 win
OSU women’s basketball coach Jacie Hoyt with baby Harlow, who got her first Big 12 win
STILLWATER — The Oklahoma State women’s basketball team opened Big 12 play with an upset of Iowa State before the holiday break.
Now, after 10 days off, OSU will try to recapture that momentum with a road trip to face Baylor at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Waco, Texas.
As the Cowgirls embark on 2025, let’s take a look back at how they got here, with an 11-1 record and a 1-0 start in Big 12 play.
Here are three things we learned about the Cowgirls prior to the new year:
Bombs away from 3-point range
Entering the week, OSU was second nationally in 3-point percentage at 40.3%, and only two teams in the top 15 have attempted more than OSU’s 310 shots from 3-point range.
Micah Gray made 10 3-pointers in one game earlier this season, setting the OSU record.
At one point, Stailee Heard made 13 consecutive 3s over a three-game span, which set the OSU and Big 12 record, coming up one shy of matching the NCAA mark.
In a 76-point win over Alabama State, OSU made 20 3-pointers, which tied the Big 12 record as well.
And this effort isn’t led by one or two players. OSU has six players averaging at least one 3-point attempt per game, and five of them are hitting at least 38.5% or better.
Under third-year coach Jacie Hoyt, the Cowgirls have stressed up-tempo offense and a strong attack from 3-point range, but this team has taken that up a notch. They set the program record for points in a game with 113, then broke it soon after with 125.
Multiple scoring options
On Dec. 6, Heard scored 32 points in the win over Alabama State. With that she became the fourth Cowgirl to score 30 points in a game this season — in the 10th game of the year.
Macey Huard opened the season with a 31-point effort, setting the record for points in a Cowgirl debut. Anna Gret Asi had a 33-point game and Gray dropped 36 in the aforementioned game with her 10 3-pointers.
But the Cowgirls’ scoring prowess goes beyond that. Six players are averaging at least eight points a game and two more are not far behind.
Gray leads the way at 17.4 per game, with Asi at 13.8 and Heard at 13.4.
Depth inside and out
Hoyt has grown tired of referencing back to the injury battles her team faced last year, when her team was basically playing with six mostly healthy bodies by the end of the season.
The Cowgirls can almost double that right now, with 10 players averaging at least 10 minutes a game.
While the roster is loaded with gifted perimeter players, the most important development has been the addition of some athletic bigs to play in the middle.
Tenin Magassa, a 6-foot-6 super-senior, is averaging 8.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while 6-3 Praise Egharevba and 6-1 Stacie Jones each provide valuable minutes in the frontcourt.
Freshman Maria Anais Rodriguez, who is 6-1, continues to grow her role as well, having played some impactful minutes at times.
And the Cowgirls have size on the perimeter as well, with Huard, who is 6-2 and the 5-11 Heard, who leads the team in rebounding at 8.0 per game.
Oklahoma State at Baylor
TIPOFF: 3 p.m. Wednesday at Foster Pavilion, Waco, Texas (ESPN+)
NORMAN — Cord Rager’s return comes at a pivotal time for Skip Johnson’s Oklahoma Sooners. Not only do they get their day three starter back in time for big road matchups against Auburn and Arkansas on the horizon, but the Sooners pitching strength, their rotational depth, is primed and ready for the test.
The freshman lefty finished with eight strikeouts and only gave up one hit in only 65 pitches before his day ended in the sixth.
No. 14 Oklahoma earn its first conference sweep of the season, defeating Missouri 8-4. It was OU’s fourth conference series win.
Oklahoma (27-12, 10-8) put their best foot forward as they turn the page to the meat of their schedule where they will do battle against No. 13, No. 20 and No. 16 over the next three weeks — two of those series’ on the road.
Four runs in five hits in the second got things rolling for the Sooners.
Camden Johnson continued his brilliant play of late with a triple in the second. This came after a Brenden Brock solo home run to put OU up 1-0. Deiten LaChance grounded out to short but scored Johnson. Dasan Harris and and Nolan Stevens each found home before the inning ended.
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OU found fortune from the plate again in the fourth. Four runs off of four hits highlighted by a three-run home run by Johnson put Oklahoma up 8-0. It was Johnson’s seventh home run of the season, second on the team behind Brock’s nine.
Trent Collier got the nod in the sixth to relieve Rager.
In the seventh, Missouri finally got on the board for the first time since the ninth inning of Friday night’s Sooner victory. Cam Durnin hit a solo shot — his fourht of the season — to make the score 8-1 in favor of the home team.
The Tigers got their third hit of the game shortly after. From there, Collier’s short day was done. Gavyn Jones came on to relieve
LaChance missed a home run by inches when Tiger center fielder Kaden Peer made a leaping catch, jumping into the fence.
In the eighth, the Tigers continued to chip away. With bases loaded, Blaze Ward hit a basehit to score two Missouri base runners. OU led 8-3 heading into the final inning.
Harris led the Sooners with three hits. His day was accented by an RBI, stolen base and a run.
Oklahoma will travel to Auburn to take on the No. 13 Tigers for a three game series starting on Friday. Before that, they will host Oral Roberts for a midweek game at Kimrey Family Stadium in Norman. The Sooners won 4-0 against ORU earlier this season.
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New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
New Iowa State wrestling coach Brent Metcalf outlines vision for team
Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.
The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.
Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.
Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.
Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.
NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.
Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.
When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.
Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.
“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”
Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.
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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.
“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”
Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.
“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”
The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.
More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.
But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.
“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”
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