Learning How to Finish Next Up for Pokes

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State has one of the most talented teams in the Big 12 Conference and if you want to go down the excuse trail, they also have one of the youngest teams in the conference. At some point talent has to rise above youth and finishing games has to rise above making the mistakes that cost you games. Head coach Mike Boynton said on Tuesday afternoon on SiriusXM Big 12 Today talking to Holly Rowe and Fran Fraschilla, who actually served as the analyst on the ESPN2 telecast of the Cowboys 87-84 loss to West Virginia, that he could feel his team’s focus slipping in the second half when the Cowboys blew a 19-point lead with 11:15 left in the game.

“Our guys have to learn how to win those games,” Boynton said. “That is something you have to acquire and master.”

The time is now. Last night the Cowboys helped West Virginia. You have to help the other team when you lead by 19 points with 11:15 left in the game. If the other team begins downing three-pointers it still takes six possessions to get withing one point and a seventh in order to take the lead and that is if the team in the lead, in this case Oklahoma State, goes completely dead offensively.

The turnovers helped as WVU used a smaller line-up and begin to apply full court and especially half-court pressure. Oklahoma State, which has turned the ball over and average of 12.25, turned the ball over seven times in the last 11:15 of the game and the Mountaineers used rebounding to gain even more extra opportunities. West Virginia had 22 offensive rebounds compared to the 24 defensive rebounds the Pokes had.

“You don’t realize how real it is until the finality of the game being over and lost hits,” Boynton said. “It doesn’t seem like it’s possible, then it’s over and you’ve lost. That’s where our guys are.”

Boynton told SiriusXM Big 12 Today that he had seen some of his players at lunch and that he thought they were in a good place, but that there was a lot of disappointment and frustration the night before.

“I’d like to be talking to you after a three-point win rather than a three-point loss where we played better than the other team for three-fourths of the game,” Boynton said. “I congratulate Coach Huggins on his 300th win (at West Virginia).”

Another area is three-point shooting and in Big 12 play it is showing up big. The Cowboys have not hit well from three in their three league losses and from the first to second half splits. It also doesn’t look like they’ve let up when the threes aren’t going down. 

Here is a look at Oklahoma State 3-point shooting in Big 12 play.

Opponent                                             3-point shooting   percentage     1^st Half             2^nd Half

Cunningham seems to get it. Value the basketball and value the possession.

“We have to value every possession,” said Cunningham, who is shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc. “We had a couple lapses early on in our 19-point lead. From there, it was just downhill. Forty minutes is what it takes to win.”

Isaac Likekele is the team leader, he has played more and seen more Big 12 basketball than anyone. He has also waited to be playing with the kind of talent this team has. His frustration showed on Monday night.

“There’s no excuse,” team leader and point guard Isaac Likekele said. “We just gotta go out there and finish that game. There’s no way we should have gave up that game.”

Now they have most of the week to learn how to not give up the next before playing Kansas State on Saturday in Manhattan.