Cowboys Run Out of Gas

The key was responding to runs.

Oklahoma State men’s basketball did that OK, but on Wednesday night it didn’t do enough in the second half and the Cowboys fell their Bedlam rival 70-61.

The play of the game for OU came during its 12-2 run in the last 6:04 of the game. The Sooners missed a shot and there was a scramble for the rebound; Rashard Odomes dove to the floor and kicked the ball to Jamal Bieniemy for a 3-pointer.

OU coach Lon Kruger said it was a big swing.

“That [Odomes] play there again diving on the floor to get a loose ball and kick it to Jamal was huge there to take the lead back to 5,” Kruger said.

OSU coach Mike Boynton said the play showcased his team is still learning how to win. He said his team is making some plays offensively, such as making 3-pointers, but they are still learning how to make the “blue-collar” plays.

“That was a winning play, whoever dove on that ball and kicked it,” Boynton said. “When we start making that play, we’ll win.”

Cameron McGriff rained in a 3-pointer from the right wing with 5:51 to go in the first half to end a 10-point Oklahoma run.

That basket, paired with another on his next possession, helped OSU extend its lead back to 6 by the end of the first half. The lead felt less sweet knowing the Cowboys had surrendered what was a 19-point advantage at one point.

McGriff was efficient from distance, for he shot 3-of-6, which was just a part of a strong 12-of-27 night as a team from 3. He played all 40 minutes.

Fellow seniors Thomas Dziagwa and Lindy Waters, III were both heavily involved in the great scoring performance. Dziagwa finished with 9 points, all from 3. 

Waters ended his night with a career-high 20, 14 of which came in the first half; he broke his record from earlier this year against Texas.

Although OSU’s junior captain, Waters, has played well in Bedlam games his entire career, he said he knows it is not only a big game for him.

“You know it’s big for me, but it’s even bigger for Oklahoma State,” Waters said. “They’re our rival. We’re taught not to like each other. We’re taught that it’s our biggest game of the year; it’s always circled for us.”

Waters also helped stifle the key OU run that the Sooners used in the second half to get back in the game. The Sooners scored 8-straight to tie the game at 54, which prompted an OSU timeout.

Following the timeout, Waters completed an and-1 play and provided defensive resistance that led to a runout which Curtis Jones finished at the rim with a smooth reverse layup. 

Jones, normally lauded for his 3-point prowess, provided two other key drives for layups. He finished with 9 and 3 assists while turning the ball over just once.

However, following the timeout, OU (14-5 overall, 3-4 in Big 12) outscored OSU 16-7 to ice away the game.

Jones said he thinks the team is close to putting a complete performance together.

“I don’t think we’re far off,” Jones said. “I think we’re right there, especially today it came down to just a couple possessions.

“I think that if we just tighten up at the end and just continue to believe and continue to trust each other, we’ll be fine.”

Since the dismissal of three of its players, OSU (8-11, 2-5) has had to worry about fatigue and foul trouble and though it went seven players deep in the first half, it finished with just six team fouls.

The foul situation changed quickly following halftime, for the refs pegged the Cowboys with four fouls inside the first eight minutes of the second half. This included two on Waters, which forced him to the bench for about three minutes.

Boynton said fatigue is a real concern, but he said he wants to focus on what he has.

“This is our team,” Boynton said. “We got, I don’t know, 12, 13 more games.

“These are the guys who are going to play.”

OSU’s hot shooting got the season-best crowd on its feet and loud during large parts of the game, but its second-half performance was less than 38 percent and before a minute was left, Cowboy fans were headed for the exits.