Cowgirls trying to catch their breath as season winds down

Staring at the court with pain on her face after another hard fall last Saturday afternoon, Oklahoma State’s Kaylee Jensen slowly got to her feet and jogged to the other end of the floor.

The 6-foot-4 senior center’s body is feeling the grind of a long season that is nearing its end.

Battling through a schedule loaded with tough and talented frontcourt opponents, Jensen’s gas tank is running low.

Same for senior point guard Loryn Goodwin, freshman Braxtin Miller, and other Cowgirls.

Goodwin, Miller and Jensen are each averaging more than 31 minutes per game during Big 12 play, with Goodwin and Miller both over 36. Only West Virginia — which has more troublesome depth issues than OSU — has three players averaging more minutes.

The Cowgirls travel to Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, for a 7 p.m. tipoff Wednesday against a Jayhawk team that has just two victories in Big 12 play.

OSU routed Kansas 92-63 in Stillwater a couple weeks ago, and another blowout would be favorable for the Cowgirls. Not only would it provide a bit of a confidence boost after tough losses to Baylor and Texas, but it would give coach Jim Littell a chance to rest his starters.

The Big 12 and NCAA tournaments are coming fast, and the Cowgirls have respectable postseason aspirations.

But they look like a team in need of a breather, too.

Knowing how much he’s having to use his starters in games, Littell is trying to back off in practice.

“We’ve tried to cut our time down anywhere from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, trying to keep fresh legs and fresh minds, and still cover the things that you need

“We’ve tried to cut our time down anywhere from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes, trying to keep fresh legs and fresh minds, and still cover the things that you need to cover to feel like you have your team well prepared to play.” OSU coach Jim Littell

to cover to feel like you have your team well prepared to play” Littell said.

Goodwin, a 5-foot-9 graduate transfer, has had seasons in which she played similar minutes to the 35.5 per game she’s averaged for the year (37.9 in Big 12 games), but none of her previous experiences matched the physicality of Big 12 play. Miller is averaging 36.6 minutes in Big 12 games.

“I think this league is just different,” said Goodwin, who has played a full 40 minutes in nine games this season.

“It’s so physical all the time. Everybody’s so much bigger. You’re going in there against 6-4, 6-5 every single time. You get a foul called, but you’re taking a blow every single time.

“That takes a toll on your body.”

Jensen knows other teams are feeling the February grind, too. Yet few power forward/ center types are on the court as much as she is, averaging 31.9 minutes in Big 12 games.

“Every team is going through those aches and pains of the long wear and tear of the season,” Jensen said. “You’ve got to just keep pushing through it. You can’t whine about it. Get yourself rested, get yourself in the cold tub, extra stretching.

“You’ve got to just power through.”