Five Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s 86-81 Victory against Northwestern

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OSU fans had to hold off their Thanksgiving food comas to catch the Cowboys playing a late-night game in Chicago.

Oklahoma State beat a solid Northwestern squad 86-81 at the United Center in a game that didn’t tip until nearly 10 p.m. local time.

Here are five thoughts on the game.

1. Roy Takeover

Anthony Roy had a woeful first half, but as Thomas Dziagwa always said: shooters shoot.

Roy had zero points on 0-for-6 shooting in the first before exploding to a 16-point second half, going 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3.

Playing on the Chicago Bulls’ court, there was a white college 3-point line added. Roy was hitting his 3s from well beyond both of those lines.

ANTHONY ROY FROM DEEP

📺: Big 10 Network | @tnblefty pic.twitter.com/w8YvDMYHfr

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) November 28, 2025

His first basket, a 3, came with 8:03 left, and once he found his range, it was over. Roy hit back-to-back 3s with about six minutes to play, pushing the Pokes’ lead to eight, which ended up being too much for the Wildcats to overcome.

This was just Roy’s fourth game back after suffering a preseason groin injury. It’s been a measured return to play, with Thursday being his first start and his most minutes played (28). He’s averaging 14 points a game.

2. Curry’s First Step Is Spooky Quick

I’ve been going to just about every OSU basketball game since my freshman year of college (the 2014-15 season). I’m not sure in that time there has been a quicker Cowboy than UMass transfer point guard Jaylen Curry.

Before Roy shouldered the load in the second half, Curry was the Cowboys’ star man in the first, scoring 16 of his team-high 18 in the opening frame.

His quickness is a lot like Avery Anderson (a comparison that might also have something to do with the fact that they both wear No. 0 and enjoy an acrobatic reverse layup). But I think Curry’s initial burst is quicker.

Jawun Evans’ first step did a good job of getting a defender on his hip. Curry’s gets his defender a full step behind him.

He had a pump fake late in the first half that he drove off of. The help defender was in the lane but couldn’t get to Curry quick enough to even contest, that’s how quick the point guard got to the hole.

3. Fallah Is a Rock

Much of my focus in these opening games has been on the Cowboys’ guards because it’s a little more flashy beyond the perimeter. But, Parsa Fallah has just been a consistent, steady rock on the interior thus far.

Fallah had a 13-point, 11-rebound double-double, doing so while juggling some choppy minutes due to foul trouble.

Early in the game, Fallah put Arrinten Page, a good player, in a blender with some pivoting pump fakes before a smooth hook shot.

He had a huge bucket late, getting the Pokes to the 80-point threshold with a floater in the lane at the end of the shot clock.

Fallah has scored in double figures in six of the Cowboys’ seven games and also plays a bit of an enforcer role for the squad, often frustrating foes.

4. Miller’s Night Was Quieter, but His Impact Loomed Large

Vyctorius Miller has been the star of the show on more than one occasion for the Cowboys this season. With Curry going off in the first half and Roy going off in the second, Miller scored a steady 17 points to compliment both.

He hit two 3s early, the first a step back on the right wing before coming back down the floor and hitting a contested triple on the left win. Miller had a breakaway dunk a few minutes later to make it eight points in the first six minutes.

He popped back up in the second half, making a pair of free throws and a dunk in a 30-second burst. He then hit his third 3 (and OSU’s third 3 at the time) with 8:42 to go which seemed to re-spark the Cowboys’ offense.

Miller is averaging 17.4 points a game now and is shooting 52% (!!) from 3 on slightly more than four attempts a game.

5. Rank the Pokes?

When the AP Poll comes out next week, there’s a chance the Cowboys are in it for the first time since Cade Cunningham was wearing Cursive Cowboys across his chest.

Before that, OSU hadn’t been in the AP Poll since the 2014-15 season — Travis Ford’s second-to-last year.

The Cowboys were receiving votes in last week’s poll and would’ve been No. 42 in an expanded poll. Northwestern isn’t ranked and didn’t receive any votes, but the Wildcats entered Thanksgiving ranked ahead of OSU in KenPom.

In the long term, Thursday’s win could be big for the Cowboys’ resume come Selection Sunday. In the short term, it could help the Pokes to get a little number next to their name for the first time in a long time.