Short-Handed Cowboys Fall to No. 2 Baylor, 81-66
STILLWATER – After a great first half that saw Oklahoma State going into halftime with a 36-32 lead over No. 2 Baylor, it was another second half collapse, that included a 17-1 run by the Bears, that led to a 81-66 loss for the Pokes.
With the loss, the Cowboys move to 9-4 on the season and 3-4 in conference play.
Some breaking news came out before tipoff as Marshall Levenson reported point guard Cade Cunningham would miss the game due to COVID-19 precautions. Guard Rondel Walker also missed the game due to what was said to be an arm injury.
It was a solid and scrappy start to the game for the short-handed Cowboys as the game was either tied, or they held a lead over the Bears well past the first eight minutes of the game. By the under-12 media timeout, the Pokes had forced four Baylor turnovers and seven fouls.
The Cowboys played one of their more energetic halves of the season as they caused a lot of disruption and Baylor frustration.
They outrebounded the Bears in the first half 23-12, as well outscored the Bears in the paint 22-12. The Cowboys led 36-32 going into halftime, but not before they jumped out to a game-high lead of nine, 34-25, just over the three-minute mark.
It was sophomore Kalib Boone who led the way for the Pokes early in the game as he scored seven of the first nine points, hauled in three rebounds, recorded a steal and took a charge. By the break, Boone led all scorers with 11-points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field, along with four rebounds and one block and steal apiece.
Boone finished the game with a career-high 21-points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field and seven rebounds. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe also had a solid day as he finished with a double-double of 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, along with 10 rebounds.
Baylor scored seven quick points to start the second half to give them their first lead, 39-38, since they led 7-6 early in the first half. However, it was MA Moncrieffe and Avery Anderson III that gave the Pokes the lead back, 42-39.
It was a back-and-forth affair from that point to the 11-minute mark, then Baylor started to turn on the pressure and stretch it out to a 14-point lead, 65-51, thanks to a 17-1 run. It was Ka. Boone who got the first bucket for the Pokes in quite some time.
Baylor continued to pour on the pressure as they recorded five second-half blocks and out-rebounded the Pokes 22-14. The short-handed Cowboys continued to fight to the end of the game and it’s safe to say Cunningham and Walker would’ve made a difference on this game.
The Cowboys will be back in action this coming Monday, Jan. 25 as they travel up to Ames, IA to face Iowa State. It’s still unclear whether Cade Cunningham and Rondel Walker will be available against the Cyclones.