The last time Haleigh Timmer played on a court with the Oklahoma State women’s basketball team, she was playing against the Cowgirls.
Back in March, Timmer, now a senior guard for the Cowgirls, was in the starting lineup for a South Dakota State team that eliminated OSU in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Advertisement
“I know that for me, personally, I have had to play against this girl way more times than I would have ever liked in my previous schools and here at Oklahoma State last season,” OSU coach Jacie Hoyt said.
On Monday night, Timmer made her debut as a Cowgirl in No. 22 OSU’s 109-48 romp of New Orleans in the season opener inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. She was one of six Cowgirls to score in double digits.
“I’m very pleased with the way that we were able to kick things off,” Hoyt said. “I think we have a lot of depth on this team, and games like tonight are good for us to look at different lineups and kinda see how we can play that depth and utilize that together. But, all in all, it just was a really good outing.”
Timmer was all over the place, scoring 18 points and dishing out six assists. On the defensive end, Timmer grabbed four steals.
Advertisement
She said she transferred to OSU because she liked Hoyt and the environment around the program. It’s a decision Timmer hasn’t regretted, and Monday was a great entrance.
“Honestly, I’ve felt such a peace since I’ve got here,” Timmer said. “I think it just speaks to the coaching staff and the community and the culture that’s cultivated here. I really didn’t struggle to settle in at all, and I think just the style of play and just the support through all aspects of our lives, even off the court, has really helped me settle in right away.”
As much as it was a good move for Timmer, it was a great portal pick-up for Hoyt. She was looking for more scorers in the transfer portal, as her team lost several players from a season ago, including 3-point shooter and third-leading scorer Anna Gret Asi.
Of course, Hoyt was more than familiar with Timmer and knew what she could bring.
Advertisement
“We lost a lot last year from a couple people, and (we) feel like she was the perfect person to come in and really help fill some big holes,” Hoyt said. “We had a great season last year, but we want to take a step forward, and I think that she’s the perfect person to help us do that, because she knows what it takes.”
The rest of the Cowgirl offense clicked, too. Senior guard Micah Gray led the team with 24 points on 8-for-17 shooting − with no turnovers − after finishing as OSU’s second-leading scorer in her first year in Stillwater last season. Junior guard Amari Whiting put up 11 points, first-team All-Big 12 guard Stailee Heard added 14 and forward Praise Egharevba finished with a 10-point, 12-rebound double-double.
True freshman guard Lena Girardi hit four 3-pointers and scored 15 points in her first college basketball game. In the final seconds, Girardi was still active on defense and running the court.
“Lena, she loves this game. She truly, truly loves the game,” Hoyt said. “In her mind, in the last 10 seconds, I promise you she was probably disappointed because she knew the game was almost over. She just wants to make the most of every second that she gets on the floor.”
Advertisement
As a team, the Cowgirls’ stats were impressive. They made 17 3-pointers at a clip of 42.5% and just below 55% from the field. They hauled in 23 offensive rebounds and turned those into 32 second-chance points.
When things are humming like they were Monday, Gray said it’s a fun offense to play in.
“It’s definitely like a free and flowing game,” Gray said. “When we’re moving the ball, there’s just so many options on the floor. Whoever shoots it, you know it’s going in.”
Hoyt said there was still room for improvement and becoming more fundamentally sound in some areas. The Cowgirls turned the ball over 21 times. On defense, she said they gave up too many free throws and layups, but the effort was there.
Advertisement
All stuff that can be ironed out, and the Cowgirls will have plenty of opportunities to do so. OSU plays five games in eight days, beginning Wednesday against East Texas A&M back inside GIA.
“Ultimately, it just feels good to get that first win under your belt,” Hoyt said.
