Five Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s 80-65 Loss to Oklahoma

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OKLAHOMA CITY — The Cowboys dominated Bedlam wrestling on Friday night, but it was the Sooners doing the bullying in Bedlam hoops.

Oklahoma State fell to Oklahoma 80-65 on Saturday in Paycom Center. Here are five thoughts on the game.

1. Poor Shooting

OSU started the game 3-for-16 from the field, and though it did get better, it didn’t get a whole lot better until it was too late.

The Cowboys shot just 39% from the field and 28% from 3-point range. The shooting was particularly poor early, as OSU went into the break shooting 26% from the field and 17% from 3. Not going to win a lot of games with those numbers, especially against teams ranked in the top 15.

Lutz after the game was upset about the number of 3s the Cowboys attempted in the first half, putting up 12. OSU beat Tulsa by 21 points just 10 days ago attempting just eight 3s in the entire game. OU is obviously much, much better than Tulsa, but that just shows that OSU got away from its gameplan early Saturday. But even then, it was a poor shooting night for the Cowboys, who entered making 35% of their 3s.

2. Turnovers a Struggle Both Ways

Key areas in OSU’s successes this season have been turnovers — on both ends of the floor.

OSU came into Saturday turning the ball over about 11 times a game. The Cowboys had 11 turnovers in the first half Saturday and finished with a season-high 16. Those turnovers led to 21 Sooner points.

Likewise, the Cowboys have been forcing turnovers at a high clip — about 17 a game. OU had just 12 turnovers against the Pokes, and OSU scored just nine points off those.

The Cowboys’ up-tempo style benefits greatly from opponent turnovers, but they were forced to work in the halfcourt quite a bit in Bedlam.

“It’s really hard to get your defense set when you don’t score offensively, and obviously in the first half, we shot 7-of-27 and 2-of-12 from the 3,” Lutz said. “So you never get back and get set defensively, and they did a great job in transition. You gotta give them credit. They scored, and then they got back and they got their defense set. And they turned us over 11 times in the first half.”

3. But the Second Half Was Better (For What It’s Worth)

The Cowboys had been having some struggles closing games in the early part of this season, being outscored four times in the second halves of games they went into the break leading.

OSU actually outscored the Sooners in the second half Saturday, but the first half was so bad that it didn’t matter in the slightest.

The second half saw the Cowboys shoot 52% from the field and 50% from 3 (3-for-6). OSU also had just five second-half turnovers to the 11 the Pokes had in the first.

“You can’t spot somebody 20 points and expect to win,” Lutz said. “Not a team that should be an NCAA Tournament team.”

If you’re looking for a bright spot from this game, it might be Chi Chi Avery getting going. A 6-foot-8 transfer from UCF, Avery has shown his sky-high potential at times this year, scoring 23 against St. Thomas and 15 against Miami and Nevada, but it hasn’t always been there consistently. Avery had a team-high 19 points, 16 of which came in the second half. That second half saw Avery go 5-for-8 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3. If he can get it going more consistently, it could unlock a new level for the Cowboys.

4. Sam Godwin Played Out of His Mind

There haven’t been a ton of teams or players that have outhustled the Cowboys this year, but that might have been the case Saturday with Sam Godwin.

Godwin was all over the place and finished with a career-high 20 points (on 14 shots) and grabbed 14 rebounds. He was also a presence defensively with a pair of blocks and three steals. Godwin had more than double the rebounds of any single Cowboy, despite OSU outrebounding the Sooners 39-36 for the game. He was tenacious.

From Ada, this was Godwin’s last shot at Bedlam, and he made the most of it.

5. Paycom Made for a Fun Bedlam Atmosphere

When this game was announced to be in Paycom instead of on one of the campuses, I was skeptical, but it turned out to be a vibrant atmosphere — one that would’ve been a lot more fun if the game was more competitive.

The Cowboys played Tulsa in Paycom last year, but it was … less exciting. Saturday was split orange and red at halfcourt, giving a Red River Rivalry vibes. Both teams brought bands, spirit squads and mascots. It had a Big 12 Tournament feel, if the Big 12 Tournament wasn’t a five- or six-hour drive away.

I think I still would prefer this game to be played at campus locations, but in years where both teams are up, meeting in OKC could be a lot of fun.

Steve Lutz’s Postgame News Conference