STILLWATER, Okla. (Interstat) — The Oklahoma State Cowgirls used a dominant first-half performance and a balanced offensive attack to secure a 70-56 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks in a Big 12 Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The win improved Oklahoma State to 23-8 overall and completed a regular-season sweep of Kansas, having also won in Lawrence on Jan. 14. The Jayhawks fell to 18-12.

Oklahoma State seized control from the opening tip, establishing a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looking back. The Cowgirls built a 40-28 advantage by halftime, shooting efficiently inside the arc while their defense harassed Kansas into mistakes. The Jayhawks struggled to find any offensive rhythm, particularly from beyond the three-point line, where they finished a frigid 2 for 16.

The most important stretch of the game came in the opening period, where Oklahoma State set the tone for the afternoon. After Kansas forward Jaliya Davis opened the scoring with a layup, the Cowgirls responded with a 14-4 run over the next four and a half minutes. The surge was fueled by defensive pressure that generated early Kansas turnovers and transition opportunities. Oklahoma State guards Jadyn Wooten and Amari Whiting facilitated the offense, finding Achol Akot and Stailee Heard for easy baskets inside. By the time the first quarter ended with a pair of Wooten free throws, the Cowgirls led 20-13, and Kansas was forced into a chasing role for the remainder of the contest.

Kansas showed brief signs of life in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 10 points on several occasions behind the interior scoring of Davis. The Jayhawks’ leading scorer finished with a game-high 24 points. However, every Kansas push was met with a timely response from Oklahoma State. The Cowgirls answered a Davis layup that made it 48-38 with a 7-0 run, capped by a Whiting three-pointer, to extend the lead back to 17 and effectively snuff out the threat.

Oklahoma State’s victory was a product of superior ball movement and defensive activity. The Cowgirls dished out 11 assists compared to six for Kansas and recorded 11 steals, leading to 16 Jayhawk turnovers. Offensively, Oklahoma State shared the scoring load, with four players reaching double figures. Akot, a forward from Ottawa, Canada, was efficient inside, scoring 18 points. Wooten, a guard from Overland Park, Kansas, matched that with 18 points of her own while adding seven assists and playing disruptive defense. Heard, from nearby Sapulpa, Oklahoma, contributed 16 points, and Whiting chipped in 10.

For Kansas, Davis was the lone consistent offensive threat. S’Mya Nichols added 12 points, but the Jayhawks’ offense often stagnated, resulting in difficult shots. Kansas shot a respectable 48 percent from the field but its inability to connect from deep and its turnover issues proved too much to overcome against a disciplined Oklahoma State squad.

The Cowgirls also dominated the glass, particularly on the offensive end where their seven rebounds led to 12 second-chance points. Kansas managed only five offensive rebounds.

A crowd of 3,091 watched as Oklahoma State closed its regular season on a high note, while Kansas will look to regroup before the conference tournament. Based on the national ELO rating system, Oklahoma State entered the game with a 79 percent probability to win, a forecast they fulfilled with a wire-to-wire performance defined by their early explosive start and sustained defensive pressure.