Oklahoma State Beats UT Arlington 77-66 in Season Opener

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State kicked the 2022-23 season off on the right foot as they beat UT Arlington, 77-66.

With the win, the Cowboys are now 1-0 overall on the season.

While the Cowboys pulled away in the second half, the first 20 minutes was a bit rough on both ends of the court for the Pokes and Mavericks. The Cowboys went into the half with a 27-22 lead but shot just 30% from the field and just 12.5% from 3-point range. In fact, the Pokes went 0-of-11 from 3-point range before John-Michael Wright hit a 3-pointer with just 3:56 remaining in the half. He was fouled shooting a 3-pointer a few seconds later, hitting all three free throws, followed by hitting the next bucket for the Pokes, a 3-pointer with 1:43 left in the half.

A bit of a scary moment for Wright as went down with a non-contact leg injury with just under seven minutes left in the game. He was helped off the court somewhat under his own power and was taken back to the training room. He returned to the bench a few minutes later without any braces or wraps on his legs.

Wright stated after the game everything was OK as he just had cramps in both legs.

Wright finished as one of the Pokes leading scorers with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 3-for-3 from the free throw line.

Junior guard Bryce Thompson led the way in scoring for the Pokes as he finished with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field, 1-of-5 from 3-point range and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. He also finished with seven rebounds, two assists and three turnovers.

The Cowboys were on fire out of the break as they went on a 15-0 run to start the second half, going up by 20 points, 42-22. They’d go on another double-digit run, this time 13 points, as they extended the lead to 31 points, 55-24, the largest lead of the game for the Pokes.

The Mavericks made a run late in the half, but it was little too late.

As a team, the Cowboys shot 43% from the field, 24% from 3-point range and 70% from the free throw line. They outrebounded UTA 41-35, while forcing 21 turnovers to 16 on their end.

Next up for the Pokes is Southern Illinois this coming Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. CT in Stillwater. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.