Oklahoma State Completes Season Sweep of No. 11 Iowa State With 64-56 Win in Ames

Oklahoma State continued its strong play as it completed the season sweep of No. 11 Iowa State with a 64-56 win on the road in Ames, IA. This win marks the first time in program history the Cowboys have won three-straight games in Hilton Coliseum.

With the win, the Cowboys move to 16-9 overall, 7-5 in Big 12 play. They’ve won seven out of their last eight games, including their fifth win in a row, fourth in Big 12 play.

Watch: Mike Boynton, Bryce Thompson and John-Michael Wright discuss 64-56 win over No. 11 ISU

John-Michael Wright has played a lot of good basketball since signing with the Pokes, but this was one of his best performances. He finished with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

“I pride myself with finishing games, whether it’s scoring or just playing defense and getting steals, getting assists, I just try to affect the game anyway I can towards the end cause that’s really the most important part,” John-Michael Wright said on the Cowboy Radio Network. “I’m feeling good, I’m liking how we are as a team, but the job is not done, we’re not content. We’re going to keep working hard and I’m going to try and help my team out the best way I can.”

Both Bryce Thompson and Caleb Asberry finished with double figures, Thompson with 12 and Asberry with 10.

As a team, the Cowboys out-shot the Cyclones 48% to 35%, as well as 70% to 47% from the free throw line, with the Cyclones going just 9-of-19 from the charity stripe.

Rebounds were even at 34, with the Pokes winning the defensive side of things 31-24. While they committed 10 first-half turnovers, the Pokes only had six in the second half. Fouls were a big issue for both sides as there were a combined 45 fouls called, both teams picking up technicals.

The Cowboys led for a decent amount of the first 10 minutes of the game, while holding a 19-19 tie with a jumper from Bryce Thompson at the 7:43 mark.

The first half was close and back-and-forth until the four-minute mark.

Woody Newton was called for a flagrant one foul when he pushed Aljaz Kunc at the end of the play with 4:08 remaining on the first half, which certainly switched the momentum back to the Cyclones for the final minutes of the half. Kunc sank both free throws, with Jaren Holmes hitting a big 3-pointer just a few seconds later, putting the Cyclones up by six, 30-24.

The six-point deficit going into halftime, 32-26, was the Pokes’ largest of the first half. However, it was a near-four-minute scoring drought going into the half that got them to that point.

It was Thompson who led the way for the Pokes in the first half with seven points on 3-of-7 shooting from the floor. Turnovers were an issue for the Pokes in the first 20 minutes of the game as they entered the break with 10, with the Cyclones scoring 12 points off those turnovers. On the other end, the Cyclones turned it over just three times, with the Pokes not scoring on them.

Points in the paint in the first half were also an issue as the Pokes were outscored 16-4.

After Kalib Boone came out in the second half and hit a bucket in the paint to cut ISU’s lead to just four, the Cowboys started to get aggressive. After a Cyclones turnover, they committed three-straight turnovers, which included Asberry making an and-one to make it a one-point game, 37-36, just three minutes into the half.

The Cowboys tied the game up at 40 just a few minutes later following a dunk from both Moussa Cisse and John-Michael Wright, both coming from Cyclone turnovers.

The Cowboys then went on a four-plus minute scoring drought before Wright hit a big three to tie the game up again, this time at 43, before a blocking foul on Cisse, his second foul of a game, gave ISU an and-one after the media timeout to put them back up three, 46-43.

Cisse was fouled with 7:05 left in the game with the game tied at 48, with a chance to give the Pokes their first lead since the 17:16 mark of the first half. Cisse’s free throws woes continued as he missed both.

However, it was Wright who was fouled by Caleb Grill on his way to the bucket just a minute later, sinking both to put the Pokes up by two, 50-48, also getting the Pokes into the double bonus.

Wright had a big-time sequence just a few plays later as he recorded a steal, then dishing out an assist to Caleb Asberry who drained a huge three, putting the Pokes up five, 55-50, with 4:35 left.

There was a tense moment at the 1:50 mark. Wright fouled Caleb Grill on a 3-point attempt. Caleb Asberry was giving Grill the business during the free throw attempts, with Grill missing the last two. Asberry rebounded the third and was shoved to the ground by Grill, sending Asberry to the line. On the way down the court, the two started arguing, with both picking up technical fouls, fouling Grill out of the game. Asberry hit both shots, putting the Pokes up by six, 61-55.

The Cowboys would hit three more free throws in the final minute of the game to extend their lead up to eight.

Next up for the Pokes is another tough one as they play host to No. 9 Kansas for a Valentine’s Day match up on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.