Gray, Timmer combine for 42 points, No. 22 Oklahoma State women open with 109-48 romp

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Micha Gray scored 24 point, newcomer Haleigh Timmer added 18 and No. 22 Oklahoma State opened the season with a 109-48 season-opening rout of New Orleans on Monday night.

Freshman Lena Girardi added 15 points off the bench, Stailee Heard 14, Amari Whiting, a transfer from BYU had 11 with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals and Praise Egharevba had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds plus four blocks.

Shanihya Brown scored 11 points for the Privateers, who had 24 turnovers that cost them 27 points.

Oklahoma State shot 55%, making 17 of 40 3-pointers, and had a 54-18 rebounding advantage, 23 on the offensive end. Achol Akot grabbed 11 rebounds. Timmer, from South Dakota State, had four of the 14 steals.

The Cowgirls used a 15-0 run to lead 29-12 after the first quarter and an 18-2 surge in the second to lead 62-22 at the half. Gray had 10 points in the first quarter and Timmer 11 in the second.

Oklahoma State shot 64% and went 10 of 21 from 3-point range and turned 15 New Orleans turnovers into 19 points as the Cowgirls steadily pulled away.

Oklahoma State plays back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday but don’t face a Power 4 opponent until meeting Miami on Nov. 29.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball