The UTC Lady Mocs, vying for their second-ever NCAA tournament win, led Oklahome State by 18 points at the first half. But UTC wilted in the face of a fierce second-half press and lost 70-63.
Playing in Tempe, Ariz., UTC came out red hot and was up 37-19. The Lady Mocs led by as many as 19 in the first half.
The Cowgirls were without the nation's third-leading scorer, Andrea Riley, who had to sit out because of taking a swipe at an LSU player in the tournament two years ago.
Oklahoma State went over 10 minutes without scoring, and the Lady Mocs also had a drought late in the half.
Kayla Christoper and Tenisha Townsend were standouts, and freshman Kylie Lambert hit a shot late to help the Lady Mocs. Shanara Holliquest, the Southern Conference's leading player, was also a force under the basket.