Liv McGill leads No. 19 Oklahoma State past Northwestern State as Cowgirls improve to 3-0

STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State women's basketball continued its undefeated start to the season Monday morning, cruising past Northwestern State 94-56 during the annual Class at the Court game at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Liv McGill led the No. 19 Cowgirls with 23 points and seven assists, helping Oklahoma State improve to 3-0 while extending its nonconference home winning streak to 30 games.

After holding its first two opponents below 40 points, Oklahoma State leaned on an efficient offensive performance against the Lady Demons, shooting 56.4% from the field and 48% from 3-point range.

The Cowgirls wasted little time establishing control, opening the game on a 12-2 run that forced Northwestern State into a timeout just four minutes after tipoff. McGill scored 10 points in the opening quarter as Oklahoma State built a 16-7 advantage.

Northwestern State briefly threatened in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to seven at 28-21 with 4:28 remaining before halftime. However, Oklahoma State responded with a decisive 16-2 run to close the half. Yuting Deng knocked down a corner 3-pointer just before the buzzer, sending the Cowgirls into the locker room with a commanding 44-23 lead.

McGill finished 7-of-15 from the field, including three 3-pointers, after entering the contest without a made three through Oklahoma State's first two games. The Cowgirls continued pulling away after halftime, with Audi Crooks taking over inside. Crooks scored 10 points in the third quarter and finished with 13 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots. The performance extended her remarkable streak of scoring in double figures to 101 consecutive games.

Oklahoma State led 67-41 entering the fourth quarter and eventually pushed its advantage to as many as 41 points before securing the 38-point victory. Deng contributed 13 points and seven rebounds, while Nene Ndiaye added 12 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting performance, including two 3-pointers. Ndiaye has now made all nine of her field-goal attempts over Oklahoma State's last two games.

Stailee Heard also made her presence felt despite scoring just eight points, distributing a team-high eight assists and collecting four steals. The Cowgirls recorded 24 assists on 31 made field goals, showcasing the ball movement that has helped fuel their explosive offensive start.

While Northwestern State became the first opponent to score more than 40 points against Oklahoma State this season, the Cowgirls' offense proved more than capable of overcoming the defensive drop-off. 

The victory continued Oklahoma State's dominance inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowgirls have now won 30 consecutive non-conference home games dating back to December 2022, the third-longest such streak in program history. Oklahoma State is also 36-2 at home over the last three seasons, including 11 consecutive victories overall.

With three convincing wins to open the season, head coach Jacie Hoyt's squad will now face its first test away from Stillwater. Oklahoma State travels to Tulsa on Thursday, November 12, for a 5 p.m. CT matchup against the Golden Hurricane. Game is on ESPNU.