Cowboys Blow Sensational First Half with Disaster in the Second at Florida

It was a tale of two halves in Gainesville as the Cowboys (10-10) traveled to Florida (13-8) for the Big12/SEC Challenge. Oklahoma State has struggled to put complete games together and after a first half that was likely the best of the season, the second half became a disaster. The Cowboys blew a 13-point halftime lead! They turned the ball over 12 times in the second half.

Florida outscored the Cowboys 26-11 in taking their first lead since early in the game at 58-56. The ingredients to the Gators bite were full court pressure on defense that caused the Cowboys to struggle offensively, and they spit out the double-digit turnovers. They also ran up double digit in fouls as Florida was in the double bonus by the midway point in the half. The Cowboys put Florida in the bonus at the free throw line just over five minutes into the second half. It all led to an 81-72 loss. A loss that looked like anything but at halftime.

The second half meltdown led to a pair of three pointers for Florida with Philandrous Fleming hitting the first to pull within one at 56-55. Then after another turnover, Myreon Jones hit from three at the baseline and Florida led 58-55. After a time out the Cowboys came back and Avery Anderson, who did not come close to duplicating his 34-point effort from Wednesday had his shot blocked and Florida got a drive on the other end to go up 60-56.

“It’s tough because we played the right way in the first half and the right way gave us a chance to have a double digit lead on a talented team on the road after having struggled this week,” Boynton said after the game to the Cowboy Radio Network. “To come out the second half and struggle and not have that edge, competitive mindset is really disappointing. To get nine assists in the first half and have only four turnovers and then turn that on our head and get only one assists in 20 minutes of basketball and 12 turnovers. You can’t win.”

The Cowboys boiling shooting percentages from the first half went tepid in the second half. At one point Oklahoma State missed seven straight shots and were without a field goal for over five minutes.

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Appleby with a key three in the second half finished with 21 points.

When Tyree Appleby hit a three the Gators had their biggest lead of the game at 65-59. A minute or so later Fleming hit another three late in the shot clock to give the Gators a 68-61 lead. Florida kept the lead at that distance the rest of the game.  

“We just collectively lost our minds defensively the second half,” Boynton told John Holcomb of the Cowboy Network. Just being out of position, over pursuing the basketball, we didn’t play like a mature basketball team.”

Oklahoma State ended up shooting 49 percent from the field and 47 percent from three-point range, normally good numbers but not after you read what they did in the first half.  

Two things definitely going in the Cowboys favor in the first half against Florida.

First, the Gators were without their leading scorer and rebounder in Colin Castleton, missing his fifth straight game with an injury. The 6-11 Castleton was backed up by Jason Jitoboh, but the 6-11 junior was injured in the eye on Tuesday night at Tennessee and had to have season ending eye surgery. The Cowboys used the second thing in their favor to take advantage of the Gators lack of post defense and the Cowboys poor shooting much of the season. Those goal standards and rims at Exactech Arena are the friendliest the Pokes have seen all season. Mike Boynton may want to take those home with him.

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Boone had all three of his treys in the first half.

Let’s start with Oklahoma State shooting 70 percent from three-point range in the first half. Keylan Boone came off the bench and he was orange hot like he was in the Texas win earlier this season. He hit a two threes early in the game and his second off a step around the defender put the Cowboys up 19-13 near the midway point of the first half.

Oklahoma State’s Moussa Cisse, Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe, and Kalib Boone did take full advantage of the Gators lack of post presence. Moncrieffe came off the bench and scored a pair of quick baskets.

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Thompson with a floater in the first half had 13 points.

Then the starters started having more fun too. Bryce Thompson knocked down his second three-pointer and the fourth for the Cowboys for a 26-16 lead and the start to a 9-0 run. Moncrieffe the next time down the floor powered down the baseline for another two points. Then the next trip, Isaac Likekele threw a feed up over the basket and Cisse took both hands and slammed it home for a 30-16 lead.

Florida countered with a 7-0 run keeping the Cowboys from completely getting away with the game and it was 32-23.

Keylan was back at it with another three to halt the Florida momentum at 35-23. Brother Kaylib got in the act with another Likekele feed and Boone did his Cisse impersonation with the huge dunk and a 39-27 lead.

Oklahoma State got a rare four-point possession late in the first half as Bryce Thompson was fouled and hit the first then missed the second, but the long rebound came out to the Pokes and Thompson nailed a three from the wing. Later he hit one more for good measure and at the half the Cowboys were in control at 45-32. Best offensive half of the season as they were 7-of-10 from beyond the arch and shot 62 percent from the field.

In the second half the Cowboys were 1-of-8 from three-point range. That is just another example of the difference from one 20 minutes to the next. Isaac Likekele led the Cowboys in scoring with 14 points and that is because the heroes of the first half, Keylan Boone and Bryce Thompson couldn’t muster much in that second half.

Oklahoma State will try to break the three game losing streak at Kansas State on Wednesday night.