Avery Anderson III Drops Career-High In Overtime Loss to Iowa State

STILLWATER – It was a back-and-forth affair for most of the game, but the first matchup between Oklahoma State and Iowa State came down to the wire as the Cowboys fall 84-81 in the overtime thriller to the Cyclones.

With the loss, the Cowboys move to 10-9 overall on the season and 3-5 in Big 12 play.

In a game that saw 28 lead changes, it all came down to the final minute of overtime. With the Pokes trailing three, 82-79, with just :19 left in the game, sophomore Avery Anderson III sunk to big free throws to get the Pokes back within one. After a turnover by Izaiah Brockington, the Pokes got the ball back with just :15 left on the clock. However, big man Moussa Cisse was called for goaltending on the other end, followed by a quick foul by Rondel Walker.

Tre Jackson sunk both shots to the put ISU back up three, 84-81, giving the Pokes :11 to hit a game-tying three. Both Keylan Boone and Anderson III, had opportunities to hit, but neither shot fell.

As for Anderson III, he finally came alive as he finished the game with a career-high 32 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field, 5-of-11 shooting from 3-point range and 11-of-13 from the free throw line. He also finished with three rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Senior Isaac Likekele also had a big game as he finished with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals, effectively putting Likekele over the 400-assist mark during his career. 

The Cowboys shot 47% on the night, including outrebounding the Cyclones 33-29, while also scoring 32 points in the paint. However, they shot just 29% from 3-point range, compared to 43% by the Cyclones, and shot just 76% from the free throw line, missing seven. They were also 9-of-18 on layup attempts.

The Cowboys are next out this coming Saturday as they hit the road to Gainesville, FL, for the Big 12/SEC Challenge against the Florida Gators. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN2.