Stillwater, Okla. ? Two seasons ago, getting to the top 25 wasn’t even a consideration for Oklahoma State. Just getting one conference victory proved to be too difficult.
Then Andrea Riley came to campus, and the transformation began. The lightning-fast point guard led Oklahoma State into the top 25 for the first time in 11 years, then scored 22 points to lead the No. 25 Cowgirls to an 85-39 victory against Wichita State on Tuesday night.
“Being ranked was one of our goals. We always thought, ‘Why can’t we be up there with everybody else?’ We’re doing good, we play hard, we’ve got intensity and everything,” said Riley, the reigning Big 12 freshman of the year.
“That wasn’t our main goal this year, and we’re not stopping there. It’s an honor and everything, but we still want more.”
After going 0-16 in Big 12 play two seasons ago, the Cowgirls have back-to-back 8-0 starts for the first time in school history. From here on out, Riley and Co. have a chance to imprint themselves on the record books as the best team ever at a school without much women’s basketball tradition.
Riley helped the Cowgirls return to the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 1996, when they were in the Top 25 for 10 straight weeks and attained the highest ranking in school history at No. 19.