The Cowgirls survive round one only to find themselves matched up with No. 1 seed UCLA in the second round — Can Oklahoma State start a Cinderella run?
LOS ANGELES, CA —
In the 8/9 seed first-round matchup of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, the eighth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowgirls defeated the ninth-seeded Princeton Tigers 82-68 on Saturday evening.
The win marked head coach Jacie Hoyt’s first March Madness victory in her fourth season and snapped Oklahoma State’s streak of first-round exits in its previous two tournament appearances. As a fun note, the outfit Coach Jacie Hoyt wore for the game was custom-made by Ellie Fallah, the wife of Oklahoma State men’s basketball player Parsa Fallah.
After downing Princeton, Oklahoma State, now 24-9, will face one-seed UCLA Bruins in the second round.
Oklahoma State was led by forward Achol Akot, who exploded for a career-high 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting while grabbing 10 boards. Guard Jaydyn Wooten added 18 points and had 10 assists. Micah Gray contributed 16 points, including a shot late in the game that helped seal the deal. As a team, the Cowgirls shot an impressive 52.5% from the field and 47.4% from beyond the arc on 9-of-19 attempts.
Princeton was led by guard Madison St. Rose with 17 points. Skye Belker and Ashley Chea each added 14 points, combining for seven of the Tigers’ eight three-pointers. Olivia Hutcherson chipped in 10 points, but the Tigers couldn’t match Oklahoma State’s inside defense, finishing with just 26 field goals on 42.6% shooting.
Oklahoma State jumped out to an early 18-point lead in the first half, fueled by a 14-0 run and another 8-0 run that pushed the score to 48-33 at halftime. Princeton refused to go quietly though as they outscored the Cowgirls 20-13 in the third quarter only trail by four points.
Early in the fourth, the Tigers closed within five at 63-58. That’s when Oklahoma State delivered another run, 9-0, that shut down Princeton’s comeback hopes and propelled the Cowgirls to a 21-15 total in the final quarter.
Now, Oklahoma State turns its attention to a monumental second-round challenge, a Monday night showdown against the top-seeded UCLA Bruins (32-1) at Pauley Pavilion.
To have any chance of pulling off an upset and advancing to the Sweet 16, the Cowgirls will need to execute a perfect game plan.
They must contain UCLA’s dominant interior presence by packing the paint and forcing the Bruins to settle for bad perimeter shots. Rebounding will need to be as good as it was against Princeton. Oklahoma State cannot afford to give up second-chance points against a team that thrives on offensive efficiency.
The Cowgirls will also need to replicate their hot outside shooting from the Princeton game while limiting turnovers and matching UCLA’s pace and defensive intensity. Staying composed in front of what is sure to be a blue and gold home crowd for the Bruins will test the Cowgirls as they’ve not been great in away contests.
Key players who could make or break the outcome include Oklahoma State’s Achol Akot, whose scoring and rebounding could challenge UCLA’s frontcourt, and Jaydyn Wooten, whose playmaking will be needed to creating open looks.
Micah Gray’s ability to knock down threes could provide the spark for an upset.
On the UCLA side, senior center Lauren Betts stands as the biggest threat; the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year owns the inside with her size and shot blocking (over 2.9 per game).
Guard Kiki Rice, a dynamic scorer, could exploit any defensive lapses with her quickness. Graduate guard Charlisse Leger-Walker adds experience and perimeter scoring that could stretch Oklahoma State’s defense thin.
The path to the Sweet 16 is steep, but if Oklahoma State can conjure up some of the magic they make in Gallagher Iba Arena, they might walk away Monday night in glass slippers.