Oklahoma State's Offense Surges Behind Vyctorius Miller to Remain Unbeaten
STILLWATER – Sometimes track meets can happen on a basketball court.
Oklahoma State beat South Florida 103-95 on Wednesday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The win improved the Cowboys to 5-0 this season.
The game ended one point shy of the program record for combined points in a game in regulation, which happened against Central Florida last season.
The pace of the game resembled a Dave Smith led track meet more than a basketball game. The Bulls came into the game averaging 101 points per game. Cowboys coach Steve Lutz wanted to be aggressive defensively to counteract the potent attack.
“Defense is where we create our energy,” Lutz said. “That’s what allows us to get going on offense and is going to be the separating factor for how high our ceiling is.”
USF coach Bryan Hodgson is known for fast-paced teams. Late in the first half the Bulls built a 13-point lead, which the Cowboys cut to one right before the break.
“Being aggressive on the offensive end is something that both of us like to do,” Lutz said. “In the Big 12 no one is going to give us that many possessions so we’re going to have to learn how to win games when it’s not at that unbelievable pace.”
The Cowboys shot 50 percent from three. Scoring beyond the arc has become a staple of the Oklahoma State offense.
“When you see your teammate make a shot and see your teammate smiling and engaged, it makes you feel better,” Lutz said. “We had guys who were creating energy for each other tonight. Especially in the second half.”
The Cowboys struggled from the free throw line, going 16-26.
“Sometimes that’s just a matter of not being focused,” Lutz said. “We evened out in the second half, and we’re a good free throw shooting team so that became encouraging.”
Vcytorius Miller led the Cowboys with 24 points. He was one of five Cowboys to end in double digits.
“We wanted to give the fans a show,” Miller said. “It’s a domino effect. You see the shot go down and everyone wants to be part of it.”
Fast-paced games are not always pretty. The teams combined for 34 turnovers.
“Between our ball handlers, they had 12 among the three of them so we can’t allow that to happen,” Lutz said. “Some of that came when guys were probably a little bit tired and maybe could have subbed and got fresh bodies out there.”
A win over a prolific offensive team provides more confidence going forward.
“We have a heck of a ball team that I think can do big things,” Lutz said. “We just have to continue to grow on the defensive side of the basketball.”
