OSU guard Anna Gret Asi stepped back behind the 3-point line and made one of, if not the biggest, shots of her career and scored the dagger.

Wednesday in Gallagher-Iba Arena, the Oklahoma State Cowgirl basketball team defeated No. 20 Iowa State 73-68. Asi’s 3-pointer put the game away for the Cowgirls.

With under a minute remaining, the Cowgirls rotated the ball, trying to find a high-percentage shot, leading by two points. It seemed the Cowgirls were in desperation, putting up a shot with the shot clock winding down, but Asi had it under control. She hit the 3. Nothing but net.

Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said it looked like an NBA All-Star Game shot. It’s what put his team away. OSU coach Jacie Hoyt said Asi is addicted to the game and that’s why she hits shots like those.

“She’s fearless,” Hoyt said. “That was a tough shot. I can’t say I was expecting it to go in, but I also wasn’t surprised that she made it. I don’t know that we’ve got a kid that loves basketball more than her. She watches it all day. She’s either rehabbing, watching basketball or practicing it and so she’s earned those moments.”

Asi finished with 10 points and four assists, but what willed OSU to victory in the fourth was the two UT Arlington transfers – Terryn Milton and Claire Chastain.

The two exchanged buckets late in the game. Milton had two drives countered with a spin to the left, finishing with the left hand for two buckets. Chastain knocked down a 3 and finished a tough drive on the left side to draw a foul and complete the and-one opportunity.

“They were big girl shots, we had to put our big girl pants on today and that’s what they did,” Hoyt said. “They want the big moments, and they don’t shy away from it. And not only do they not shy away from it, they had ice in their veins tonight. With Terryn and Claire, they are playing with a tremendous amount of urgency right now.”

The win extends the Cowgirls’ streak to six and gives OSU (20-7 overall, 10-5 Big 12) security to an NCAA Tournament bid. ESPN’s Charlie Creme projects OSU as a No. 9 seed, but that most likely will change following the win.

The victory also secures outright third place in the Big 12 for OSU. Iowa State (17-8, 9-6) falls to fourth. The teams were tied prior to the game.

The foundation Hoyt continues to lay for a program, at one point looked to be a rebuild, accumulates game-by-game, and Wednesday’s win over Iowa State proves this is no rebuild. Hoyt has said it’s a team that doesn’t care about past records or past outcomes. All the Cowgirls are focused on is proving themselves right. Hoyt got teared up speaking about her first season at OSU.

“It means a lot,” Hoyt said. “Not because of what we’re doing, but because of who I get to do it with. It’s just an incredible group that is so bonded from top to bottom, and so selfless and it’s the fun that we’re having. That makes me emotional because I don’t want it to end. I’m just having the time of my life and I know they are too.”