OKLAHOMA 87, OKLAHOMA STATE 56

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sooner or later Oklahoma State was going to run out of gas. Emphasis on Sooner.

Top-seeded Oklahoma blew out the Cowgirls 87-56 in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Conference Tournament Wednesday afternoon, and will now face Kansas State in the semifinals Thursday at 6 p.m.

“In the first game of the tournament, I feel it’s important to set the tone early,” said Big 12 player of the year Stacey Dales of Oklahoma. “We initiated things well and I thought we were well prepared.”

Dales scored 23, as did Dionnah Jackson. Jackson’s 23 points were a career high.

“I am playing with seniors that show great leadership,” Jackson said. “I just followed their lead and was successful.”

The Sooners (25-3) had a 28-point lead at halftime, 49-21, and never looked back.

Oklahoma State, which benefited from six players scoring in double digits Tuesday in a 92-76 win over Texas A&M, had only one player in double figures Wednesday – Shelby Hutchens had 12 points.

“I think Oklahoma can win a national championship if they play the way they played in the first five minutes,” said OSU head coach Dick Halterman who coached his last game at Oklahoma State.

He was told he wouldn’t be back earlier in the season and his team responded by beating ranked teams Texas Tech and Iowa State.

But the Sooners were too much.

The Cowgirls ended the season at 16-15 and now must wait for a WNIT bid.

KANSAS STATE 79, TEXAS 63

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Texas survived one team from Kansas, but couldn’t get through the second.

Fourth-seeded Kansas State got past the fifth-seeded Longhorns 79-63 Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.

Now the Wildcats (24-6) will play top-seeded Oklahoma Thursday at 6 p.m.

“I’m very proud of the defensive effort that our players brought to the court today,” said Wildcat head coach Deb Patterson.

Kansas State held Longhorn star Stacy Stephens to nine points and seven rebounds.

“I just didn’t make the shots I usually do, and that’s something I have to work on,” Stephens said.

Kansas State was led by Kendra Wecker, who scored 22 points.

Four other Wildcats tallied double figures: Laurie Koehn, 17; Nicole Ohlde and Kristin Rethman, 11; and Megan Mahoney, 10.

“I was disappointed with the way we played, but impressed with the way Kansas State played,” Texas head coach Jody Conradt said.

Texas, which escaped Wednesday with a two-point win over Kansas, finishes the season 20-9.

BAYLOR 75, TEXAS TECH 60

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Texas Tech made a run, but in the end Sheila Lambert was just too much for the Lady Raiders.

Lambert led all scorers with 30 points in a 75-60 win over Texas Tech in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals Wednesday.

“I’m just gonna let Lambert take me as far as she wants to take us,” Baylor head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson said.

Texas Tech pulled to within two late, but Baylor went on a run to put the game away.

“We’re building a program at Baylor,” Mulkey-Robertson said. “We just beat a tradition.”

The Lady Raiders were led by Jolee Ayers who scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Texas Tech has won 20 games in each of the last 12 seasons, but at 18-11 that streak could be in jeopardy heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Baylor (25-4), the tournament’s No. 2 seed, advanced to Thursday’s semifinal game at 8:30 p.m.

– Jeremy Gustafson