Can Oklahoma State cement its status as a Big 12 contender following Iowa State win?

Record: 11-1, 1-0 Big 12 Best win: 81-75 vs.

Iowa State on Dec.

21 Coach Jacie Hoyt returned less than two weeks after the birth of her baby and the Cowgirls responded led by Micah Gray who finished with 24 points after shooting 6-of-11 beyond the arc.

Anna Gret Asi knocked down 3-of-7 3-pointers to finish a close second with 21 points after missing the previous game due to injury.

The win over the Cyclones (9-5) should look even better later on as three of the team's losses have come against ranked opponents including No.

2 South Carolina and No.

7 UConn.

Worst loss: 57-53 vs..

Richmond on Nov.

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Why is that one tree a different color? Berry Tramel: A sad Sooner season comes to a merciful end with loss to Navy Berry Tramel's college football picks: Why OU will be hard-pressed to beat Navy Tulsa school board votes to proceed with Jennettie Marshall, ELena Ashley lawsuit Tres Amigos to close after 13 years Where to eat on Christmas Day in Tulsa area This was an easy pick considering its the Cowgirls only loss.

It isn't even a bad one considering Richmond's NET ranking of 36th places the loss as a Quad 2 game for the Cowgirls and will move up to Quad 1 if the Spiders move up even a single spot in the rankings.

This will change in Big 12 play, but where the NET is concerned Richmond is the best team the Cowgirls faced followed by Iowa State and Fairfield, ranking 54th and 56th, respectively.

Top player: Micah Gray Averaging 17.4 points per game puts Gray 3.6 points ahead of the closest Cowgirl.

She is also first in minutes (31.7) and fifth in assists (26).

Among players to average at least 10 minutes per game, Gray is third in free-throw shooting (82.1%) and fifth in 3-point percentage (38.5) while knocking down a team-high 40 beyond the arc.

Despite those numbers, Gray wasn't an easy choice.

Asi and Stailee Heard have equally compelling cases, but Gray's performance against Iowa State served as a tiebreaker of sorts.

This time last season: Oklahoma State started off 7-5 overall and 0-1 in Big 12 play with a home loss vs.

Iowa State.

Three storylines 1.

Will the Cowgirls prove themselves as a top-25 team? Oklahoma State is the unofficial 30th team in the latest AP Poll, but the difference between OSU and the first team outside the poll, Nebraska, is almost negligible.

The Cowgirls might crack the top-25 in the coming weeks if they simply keep winning.

Either way, they will certainly have the chance to prove they belong when OSU faces four currently ranked opponents in an eight-game stretch from Jan.

11-Feb.

8.

2.

Will the non-conference schedule hold Oklahoma State back in March? Following the win over Iowa State Hoyt addressed the perception that Oklahoma State's early-season accomplishments might not be properly respected.

I had a baby 10 days ago so (the idea that the Cowgirls) havent been challenged ...

is not anything that our team is buying," Hoyt said.

"I think weve proven ourselves and will continue to prove ourselves." A good showing in Big 12 play, particularly against ranked opponents should answer any possible questions the Cowgirls face.

However, if the team ends up somewhere closer to the middle or back of the pack in conference play then things could get dicey.

Oklahoma State is 3-1 against Quad 2 and 3 opponents, but eight of the team's wins fall in the Quad 4 category with six of those wins coming against opponents ranked outside the top-250.

Hoyt's teams dominated those teams, but the Cowgirls might lose any close comparisons in committee unless they have Quad 1 wins on the resume.

3.

Can the Cowgirls' hot streak continue? Oklahoma State ranks second nationally in 3-point shooting percentage, knocking down 40.3% of attempts.

Only three Cowgirls have attempted at least 20 3-pointers this season and combined they have converted 41.4% of 268 attempts.

Stailee Heard: 21-of-44, 47.7% Anna Gret Asi: 31-of-73, 42.5% Macey Huard: 19-of-47, 40.4% Micah Gray: 40-of-104, 38.5% Oklahoma State also ranks ninth in scoring offense (87.7 points) and 25th in scoring defense (54.6 points).

Only seven other teams rank inside the top-25 in both categories including four Big 12 teams in Kansas State, TCU, Baylor and West Virginia.

Conference outlook: Oklahoma State was picked to finish 11th in the Big 12.

So far, the Cowgirls look like a team capable of more, especially after beating the preseason No.

2 team to open conference play.

It's too early to know who the contenders are, but preseason favorite Kansas State and TCU, which finished fourth in the preseason poll, both look the part of potential Big 12 Champions.

Baylor was another trendy pick in the preseason, finishing third.

The Bears (11-2) only had one point in the latest AP Poll, but the NET rankings have Baylor 18th nationally and fourth in the Big 12.

That makes this a big one for Oklahoma State which travels to Waco on New Year's Day.

Marquee games ahead: Jan.

11 vs.

No.

18 West Virginia Hoyt wants more respect, and this currently figures to be Oklahoma State's first ranked opponent.

West Virginia also ranks 14th in the NET rankings, placing it third among Big 12 teams.

Jan.

22 vs.

No.

11 TCU Former Louisville star Hailey Van Lith leads TCU with 19.1 points per game (third-most in the Big 12), but Sedona Prince might be the real headline averaging 17.9 points (fifth in Big 12), 9.4 rebounds (third) and 3.8 blocks (first).

Feb.

8 vs.

No.

12 Kansas State The Wildcats rank fifth in the NET making them the best possible win in Big 12 play.

Their only loss came in a neutral-site showdown with Duke, currently ranked 14th.

Tyler Waldrep, Tulsa World.

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