Oklahoma State Outlasts Surging ORU 86-74
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State finished its non-conference play on a high note as the Pokes held off a surging Oral Roberts, 86-74.
With the win, the Cowboys enter Big 12 play with an 8-3 season and will host Houston to start conference play on Dec. 30.
Four Cowboys finished the game in double-digits, with Abou Ousmane finishing with 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line. He also had a team-high seven rebounds.
Bryce Thompson finished with 14 points and Jamyron Keller and Khalil Brantley each had 10 points.
The Cowboys shot 48% from the floor, 21% from 3-point range and 79% from the free throw line. They outrebounded the Golden Eagles 44-20, scoring 16 points off 16 turnovers. A big difference in this game was the Pokes had 42 points in the paint, compared to just 22 on the other end.
The game was closer than it needed to be as it was a one possession game for nearly the entire first half. The Cowboys start the game with a 5-2 lead, before the Golden Eagles drilled four-straight 3-pointers to take an 11-9 lead.
The Pokes pulled away towards the end of the first half following a 10-0 run to go up nine, 38-29, before ORU’s McBride finished with two free throws to go into halftime with the Pokes leading 38-31.
The Cowboys shot 42% from the floor in the first half and just 17% from 3-point range, but it was on just 1-of-6 shooting. They outrebounded the Golden Eagles 18-11 and forced 12 turnovers, scoring 12 points on the turnovers.
The second half was a lot different for the Pokes as they kept their lead nearly double digits for most of the final 20 minutes, including taking their largest lead of the game at the under-eight media timeout, 68-52, following an 8-0 run.
The big difference between the two halves is ORU shot a blistering 54% from 3-point range in the first half. ORU also had big man Mathok Majok and wing Luke Gray foul out. Majok finished with zero points but was their presence in the paint. Gray fouled out with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
The Cowboys cleared the 20-point lead mark just under six minutes left in the game following an emphatic put-back dunk by Ousmane, putting the Pokes up 73-53.
The Golden Eagles cut the lead down to 11 with a minute and a half left in the game on an and-one from Moore, before he stole a lob pass leading to a fast break dunk on the other end, with the Pokes leading 81-72.
The Cowboys turned the ball over on the ensuing trip, with the Robinson hitting a layup making it 81-74. Some missed free throws from Rosario led to a dunk from Thompson on the other end, with Chi-Chi Avery hitting two free throws following a foul, making it a 12-point game to put it away, 86-74.