Oklahoma State Not Able To Overcome First Half Shooting Woes In 85-69 Road Loss to BYU

Oklahoma State struggled in the first half, bounced back in the second half, going on a 22-2 run over the first six minutes of the half to cut their deficit down to just three points, but couldn’t capitalize as they fall to BYU, 85-69.

With the loss, the Cowboys fell to 9-7 on the season and 1-4 in Big 12 play.

Both Bryce Thompson and Jamyron Keller led the way in scoring for the Pokes with 15 points each, Keller on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor, 5-of-8 from 3-point range and Thompson 4-of-9 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Thompson, however, scored all his points in the second half, attempting just one shot in the first half and playing just seven minutes with foul trouble.

Abou Ousmane scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the floor with seven rebounds. 

As a team, the Cowboys shot 41% from the field and were outrebounded by the Cougars, 38-26, with the Cougars recording 28 defensive rebounds. 

The Cowboys struggled shooting the ball in the first half, shooting just 26% from the field, 33% from 3-point range and 54% from the free throw line, trailing 42-15 with three minutes left in the first frame. The Cougars, however, shot the lights out from the field shooting 60% and 42% from 3-point range, entering halftime with a 46-26 lead over the Pokes. 

But the start of the second half was a different story as BYU’s Knell hit a three out of the break, which was followed by a 22-2 run for the Pokes, nearly erasing the deficit and making it a 51-48 game. But from just over 13 minutes left in the game to the eight-minute mark, BYU went on a 20-9 run and extended their lead back up to 71-57.

The Cowboys shot much better in the second half as they shot 41% from the field and nearly 40% from 3-point range. It just wasn’t enough as the Cougars finished the game outscoring the Pokes 14-12.