The Oklahoma Sooners dropped a third consecutive contest in conference play. However, Saturday in Stillwater proved most damaging of that stretch as the Cowboys posted an 83-66 win. It’s not the outcome a bubble team hoped for against what many consider a struggling Oklahoma State team.
Opening the game with a couple of free throws, it appeared as though the Sooners’ big three would carry the team to victory. Jumping out to an early 10-2 lead on the road, the program maintained a sizable margin through the first ten minutes of game time. Yet, an unforeseen drought quickly set Oklahoma back.
Collecting 21 points as a team at the 11:24 mark in the first half after Austin Reaves connected on a deep ball, the group fell silent. Unable to score another point due to several factors, the lead dwindled. Eventually breaking the scoreless stretch, Reaves once again found the bottom of the net. Yet, the lack of consistent scoring allowed OSU to claim a 27-23 edge.
Exploding over the remaining portion of the first half offensively, the Cowboys took a 42-36 lead into the break and never looked back.
Quick Notes:
– Austin Reaves once again found himself leading the program in scoring. Netting 22 points from various places on the court, the transfer attempted to pick up the slack of another teammate in the department.
– Brady Manek all but disappeared in Stillwater. Firing up eight shots, the forward managed to score just 2 points. It’s not the performance needed to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
– De’Vion Harmon continues to excel while coming off the bench. The highly touted recruit poured in 11 points of his own. The future still looks bright for this youngster.
– The Cowboys hit 50% of the attempts from beyond the arc. It’s a tough night when the defense is unable to close out on shooters especially when 27 points were netted from range.