STILLWATER — Last April, Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt spent her birthday eating with Achol Akot, hoping to sell the 6-foot-1 UCF transfer on her vision.
“Best birthday ever because she committed that night,” Hoyt said. “So that’s a very memorable birthday for me.”
Considering Akot was sitting right next to her, it would be easy to describe Hoyt’s praise as a polite exaggeration, but in this case, the Oklahoma State coach has the receipts to back it up.
Best. Birthday. Ever. pic.twitter.com/7MapSc2LIH
— Jacie Hoyt (@CoachJacie) April 3, 2025
“When I first played them (while still at UCF), I just felt the unity in how they played,” Akot said, recalling why she committed. “Also, they played fast and aggressive. That’s one of my things that she loves to say. And I think I’m just that type of player, and I fit in just very well.”
All of that was on display and more in Oklahoma State’s 70-56 dismantling of Kansas on Saturday night. Suddenly unstoppable in the paint, Akot scored 12 points all on her own in the third quarter alone to finish with 18 and nine rebounds. She also added a pair of assists and two steals.
“She filleted us,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said.
Hoyt took a little longer summing up the junior’s impact, delivering three minutes of uninterrupted praise for the first-year Cowgirl.
“I think that she’s arguably the most underrated player on our team,” Hoyt said. “I don’t think she gets enough, gets as much credit as she should. I think that a lot of people can be critical of our team because they say that we don’t have a true post.
“In my opinion, we played two of the best post players in the Big 12, and in the country this week, Audi Crooks, Jaliya Davis. They will earn national honors, and rightfully so. And she handled it beautifully. I mean, what she did at Iowa State was, it was special. What she did today, it was special. There was no answer for her.”
Davis finished Sunday’s game with 24 points, roughly three above her season average, and four rebounds, more than two below her average. However, seven of those points came in the final 11 minutes after Akot powered the Cowgirls to a 20-point lead.
Akot essentially just picked up where she left off at Iowa State, where she scored a career-high 25 points on Wednesday. She also grabbed 10 rebounds that night to finish with her fifth double-double this season.
For context, Crooks finished that game, an 11-point Cowgirl victory, with 19 points and seven rebounds, which put her six points and half a rebound below her season-average.
“No one can outrun this girl,” Hoyt said, continuing to praise Akot. “And now that her half-court game is developing, it’s so cool to watch. She’s on the perfect team because she’s got shooters all around her. So you know, she can expose different defenses in that way. … I hope people see the value that she brings because she’s a really special player, and she’s obviously playing her best basketball right now.”
While Akot shone in the second half, sophomore Jadyn Wooten stole the show for most of the evening, matching Akot with 18 points, to go along with a team-high seven assists and four rebounds.
“I think that we have the Sixth Man of the Year coming off the bench in Jadyn Wooten,” Hoyt said. “I feel very strong about that. I think she’s proven that. I just say that because she could very easily start on this team, there’s no doubt about that, but she’s bought into her role.”
Saturday’s win gives Oklahoma State (23-8, 12-6 Big 12) the fourth seed in the Big 12 Tournament next week, which comes with two byes. The Cowgirls return to action on Friday at 11 a.m. against a team potentially seeded as high as fifth.
Hoyt made it clear in her opening remarks that Oklahoma State viewed both Saturday and next week as a chance to push for a higher seed in the NCAA Tournament. ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme ranked the Cowgirls as a No. 8 seed headed into the weekend, but the Cowgirls NET ranking of 27 could help their case for a much higher seed, especially if they can further pad their resume with wins next week against what should be top-tier competition.
“I don’t think that there’s any doubt in my mind how hungry we are,” Hoyt said. “And just super proud, I think that we are playing our best basketball right now, and what we did against KU, who is playing really, really well, I think they were arguably the hottest team in the conference coming in here.”
Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog.
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