[OKLAHOMA STATE-MARYLAND] Cheered on my members of the women's basketball team in mourning following the death of women’s basketball coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna in a plane crash on Thursday, Oklahoma State advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Women’s Tournament for the second straight year with a 1-0 win over Maryland.
 
“It’s a great feeling,” OSU head coach Colin Carmichael said. “It was a tremendous game. Maryland plays in the ACC, which is undoubtedly this year from top-to-bottom the strongest conference so they play a lot of good competition. They’re a good team, great in possession. We wanted to contain them a little bit and not allow them as many looks at goal, which I thought we did well.”
 
For the second consecutive game, OSU got the only goal it needed from six-year senior Annika Niemeier, who scored after only four minutes when she took a pass from Colleen Dougherty, turned on her defender and sent a shot to the far post past Maryland goalie Yewande Balogun.
 
Maryland was poised to equalize less than two minutes later after Danielle Hubka was fouled in the box and the Terrapins were awarded a penalty kick. But OSU goalie AD Franch dove to her right to save Ashley Grove's spot kick and keep the Terps off the scoreboard.
 
Said Carmichael, “I was not surprised [Franch] saved it. Most penalties are probably 90-10 score, but with her it’s 50-50. We see that in practice all the time.”
 
Franch set a school record with her 12th shutout of the year, beating her previous record of 11 set during her freshman season in 2009.

OSU players prayed with members of the basketball team on the field prior to the game.

“I had no idea they [basketball team] were coming out like that," said Carmichael. "That was a touching moment. Hopefully, those kids for an hour and a half they could be big OSU fans and enjoy it and not have to worry about what life is throwing at them."