Oklahoma Gets a Winning Three to Fall at the OT Buzzer to Win Bedlam Big 12 Finale

STILLWATER – A near sellout crowd at Gallagher-Iba Arena was treated to extra entertainment in the final Bedlam basketball game under the flag of the Big 12 Conference, at least regular season.  It was overtime and as the Cowboys, who led most of the game, battled in the extra five minutes there were multiple motivations. Oklahoma State was looking to extend a winning streak in home Bedlam games to five and looking to stretch a late season run in the Big 12 to three wins in a row. Neither happened.

Oklahoma State played it right, the way anybody would to the end. The Cowboys lead in overtime 82-81 after great ball movement from Javon Small to Jamyron Keller to John-Michael Wright resulted in a three for the lead at 82-81.

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Another angle of the game winner.

“We took it to the basket (late with a one point lead) and I thought that we had forced the contact, but the game was not being called as tight at that point,” Cowboys head coach Mike Boynton said of overtime. “Again, give then credit because we played about was well as we could defensively there at the end.”

OU turned the ball over but the Cowboys couldn’t get a clincher and after a time out with 12.5 seconds left and the Cowboys defending as well as any coach could ask Javian McCollom dribbling way out on the wing threw up a prayer just in time that was answered for a 84-82 Oklahoma win.

“Effort was unbleivable and our crowd was excellent,” Boynton said in his overall thoughts on the game. “They tried hard to get us over the hump. This is why our players come here is to play in that atmosphere. Give them (Oklahoma) credit because they hit a tough shot to win it. I think in the end second chance points were the difference.”

Oklahoma led in rebounds 34-32 and had a slight lead in second chance points, but they got many of those late in regulation and in overtime.

Starting at the 10:30 mark in the first half Oklahoma State closed it on a 22-to-14 run and you can give a lot of the credit for the offense for the Pokes to Eric Dailey Jr. coming off the bench and Javon Small. It was Brandon Garrison that started the run with a creative post move for a bucket and an 18-16 lead. 

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Small on the drive.

The next time down the floor Small had the offense literally come to him as he was standing outside the three-point line and a long offensive rebound came out where he brough his hand up and scooped the ball right into a dribble and went all the way to the hole for a 20-16 lead. 

With 7:15 left John Michael-Wright got in the act with a three pointer from the baseline that karromed up and then got the shooter’s bounce coming down for a three-pointer and a 27-19 advantage. 

The Cowboys out shot Oklahoma from the field in the first half 48.5 percent to 36 percent. Part of that plus shooting percentage came when Dailey Jr. who hit four-of-six shooting in the half and 11 points nailed a three with the shot clock counting down for 30-21 margin on the scoreboard. 

The not sell-out but biggest crowd of the season in GIA loved the no look bounce pass across the paint from Small to Dailey Jr. and it was 32-21. The 11 point margin would be the largest in the half and the Pokes had it multiple times. 

Small was six-of-eight for 10 points and that included a long drive starting way out beyond the arch and he went to basket and scored with the finger roll. A Dailey turnaround finished the Cowboys half before Oklahoma nailed a late three and the halftime lead was 38-30.

Oklahoma evaporated the Cowboys advantage quickly with a 6-0 run to start the second half and Rivaldo Soares was a big part of it as he had a drive in front of the basket to make it 38-36.

“We got baskets when we needed them and I thought the start of the second half was a big turning point because they came out and put the pressure on us,” Boynton said. “We answered, but they got back in the game.”

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Dailey Jr. had one of his best games.

Then it was back to the Cowboys and a good dose of Dailey Jr. First, Williams caught an inbounds pass and went straight to the hole for a slam dunk. Then Dailey Jr, inside put a floater in before coming back the next trip down with a no look bounce pass going to the basket for Q. Williams and the crowd made some noise at 44-38.

“There is an ebb and flow during the course of the season and he (Dailey Jr.) has stuck with it,” Boynton said of Dailey Jr. who had 20 points, four assists, and nine rebounds.  It wasn’t just his shooting, but he made some great passes. He has stayed with it and the young man came through big for us.”

In the body of the second half, Oklahoma State maintained their lead, if only by one-two-three-or-four points. It was tight. Three-poimters were a part of it and they were traded. In one sequence, Williams hit a three from the baseline in front of his teammates on the Oklahoma State bench and on the other end Soares did the same thing right in fromt of the Sooners bench,

Freshman Jamyron Keller played tough the entire game but his offense came to him late with a bucket inside to make it 59-55. 

With 5:54 left Williams way out on the wing lobbed he alley-oop into Keller who slammed it down for a 62-58 advantage,

Oklahoma took their first lead on a three-pointer at 66-65. Then the final minutes of the second half were a little crazy with a Cowboy turnover. That led to an Oklahoma bonanza as Soares hit the three-pointer and was fouled, He made the free throw to give Oklahoma a 72-70 lead. The guilty Cowboy was Garrison, who battled foul trouble throughout. That was his fifth and he would miss the rest of the afternoon including the overtime.

Small kept being the Cowboys most consistent scorer and his drive to the glass tied the game at 72-72. He finished with 21 points and along with Williams, with 21, they led the Cowboys in scoring. 

Small was fouled with just seconds left and missed the front end of a one-on-one. The loose ball off the miss was tipped by both teams, but a review showed it was out on Oklahoma. OSU inbounded with .6 left on the clock but the Cowboys inbounded and did not get the shot off in time,

It was on to overtime and eventually the Sooners throwing up the basketball version of a “hail Mary” that was answered right before the red lights lit up the backboard and sounded an end to regular season basketball Bedlam for now. It was the end of a two game OSu victory stack that they will attempt to start over on Tuesday against UCF in Gallagher-Iba Arena.