Jamal Bieniemy may only be a freshman but he has secured his place in Bedlam lore. Helping to spark the largest come from behind win on the road by a major conference team this season, Bieniemy scored a career high 17 points on a perfect night from the floor.
By the very definition of its name, Bedlam is crazy. When you add desperation by both teams to secure a win then it just adds fuel to the fire. That’s what fans of both schools were treated to in Stillwater on Wednesday night.
Oklahoma State tried to deliver the knockout blow in the first half. The Pokes built a 28-9 lead through the first nine minutes of the game but Bieniemy and company were just getting started.
The Sooners closed out the half on a 22-9 run to pull within 37-31 at the break. Then they outscored Oklahoma State 39-24 in the final twenty minutes to secure their third conference win.
Bieniemy was 6-6 from the floor (3-3 from three-point range) and 2-2 from the free throw line to lead Oklahoma scorers with 17 points. Brady Manek was right behind him with 15 points followed by Jamuni McNeace with 13 points, off the bench and Rashard Odomes with 11.
Post Game Thoughts
- The Game Plan For OSU Was The Right One | While Bieniemy had the game of his career, Christian James had his worst outing of the season. For just the second time this year the senior guard failed to score in double figures and his five points were his lowest output of the season. Credit Oklahoma State for keying on James to put the Sooners on their heels early and force them into an alternate game plan.
- Lon Kruger Responded Like A Boss | With OSU taking away Kruger’s best player with defensive pressure (James didn’t score his first basket until midway through the second half). Kruger turned to his up and coming freshman to lead the charge in the second half. Twelve of Bieniemy’s seventeen points came in the second half. Where the Cowboys had James on lock down, they had no answer for Bieniemy.
- OSU Has The Players…Just Not Enough Of Them | The Pokes are in a tough spot. With a limited roster they came out swinging for the third consecutive game. Late runs to end the first and second halves have doomed OSU in all three of those games resulting in three consecutive losses. Oklahoma State only went two deep into it’s bench tonight, producing just 9 points.
- Lost In Defeat | Oklahoma’s come from behind win and Jamal Bieniemy will be the storylines from this game, but Lindy Waters game-high 20 points is the reason the Cowboys were even in this one.
- High Percentage Shots | Oklahoma may have been out of sync early but they still shot the ball well. The Sooners hit 50% of their shots from the floor and were 12-of-16 (75%) from the charity stripe.
- 17 Dimes And 8 Thefts | Here’s the biggest factor that folks may not be talking about. Odomes and Kristian Doolittle dished out five assists each to help lead Oklahoma to seventeen total assists. In addition, the Sooners recorded eight steals, led by Bieniemy’s three, and forced Oklahoma State into 13 total turnovers.
- First One Is Always The Hardest | Not only has Oklahoma swept the regular season Bedlam series, they’ve also picked up their first road win in conference play.
- Ready To Run | Wednesday night’s win comes at a good time for Oklahoma. The Sooners will play four of their next five games at home, giving them the opportunity to possibly string together a winning streak in the middle of the season.
Up Next
Both schools are stepping out of conference on Saturday for the Big 12/S.E.C. challenge. Oklahoma (14-5, 3-4) will host Vanderbilt and Oklahoma State (8-11, 2-5) will host South Carolina.