Live and learnNCAA women: Bowling Green 70, OSU 66Cowgirls squander lead, fall to Bowling Green

Oklahoma State coach Kurt Budke reacts to a call by the officials in the first round game against Bowling...
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A 70-66 first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Bowling Green on Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center was another heartbreaking reminder what it will take for the Cowgirls to get to the next level.

OSU trailed just three minutes the entire game but never led the final two minutes.

"This is part of the growing-up process,” OSU coach Kurt Budke said. "We struggled at times against mature teams with veteran players. Those are players that seem to beat us right now. Maybe it's the way it should be. Maybe it's part of the process.”

A veteran Bowling Green team, loaded with seniors, was hungry for the program's first NCAA Tournament win in nearly two decades. The Falcons (30-3) rallied from an early 14-point deficit and made the clutch plays down the stretch.

"Give Bowling Green credit,” Budke said. "They don't beat themselves and shoot the ball well. They knew what it took to get over the hump.”

OSU has a bright future with point guard Andrea Riley, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. Riley struggled from the field much of her NCAA Tournament debut, but she got hot late, slashing to the goal to score a game-high 20 points.

Riley's driving layup with 2:56 left gave the Cowgirls a 60-57 lead. Bowling Green's Liz Honegger nailed one of her awkward, behind-the-head 3-pointers to tie it. OSU would never lead again.

"We didn't play that bad,” Budke said. "It's a little similar to losses to A&M twice and (Texas) Tech. You need a go-to person at the end. Sometimes it's hard for your go-to person to be your point guard because they make a wall and make her (pass).”

Two well-designed, cut-to-the-goal baskets gave the Falcons a 64-60 cushion. The Falcons added two free throws to make it a six-point lead after Riley was whistled for a technical foul.

"Emotion is a big part of this game,” Budke said. "We've learned from our mistakes and will learn from this mistake. This game was not lost on that mistake. We had many opportunities through 40 minutes to win this game.”

OSU used an 11-0 run to build a 26-12 cushion midway through the first half, but Bowling Green cut the deficit to 32-28 by halftime.