Five Key Plays from Oklahoma State’s 83-81 Bedlam Win

It took all of 45 minutes, but the Cowboys got the win and move to 3-4 in the Big 12 this season — and 3-1 against OU since start of 2017. There were buzzer-beaters, questionable calls and hustle plays seemingly every other possession.

We picked out five plays that were huge to OSU’s win. Here they are.

1. Mitch Solo’s Strip and Dive

This may have been the biggest play of the game and subsequently the one Trae Young took exception to during his postgame press conference.

It’s sums up what Mitchell Solomon brings to this program and this team. He’s the offensive rebound guy. The skinned knees and elbows guy. The #Let’sWork guy. Plays like this are why Boynton has called him the team’s MVP. And this was just one of the few where he showed against OU.

2. Kendall Smith Transition Equalizer

Trae Young might claim he was trying to foul Kendall Smith here, but his little reach from behind looks more like an afterthought following a huge lapse in defensive effort. Even if he was, no coach in the country would accept that effort.

But the important part of the play is Smith and the confidence to take the shot when it was open. He’s not been the most consistent scorer since arrive in Stillwater but when he’s on, he’s on. And on Saturday, Smith was definitely on.

3. Solomon-to-Waters for the dunk

Much was made during the broadcast of Lindy Waters, Trae Young and their basketball history. Waters didn’t have his best game in his sophomore Bedlam debut, going just 2 of 7 from the field. But these 2 were huge.

With the Sooners surging and the Cowboys just trying to keep up, Tavarius Shine let one loose at the shot clock. Mitchell Solomon outworked his man for the rebound and Waters finished the play with this momentum slam.

4. Steal and bucket in OT

This put OSU up four with just under two minutes left. It was the last field goal the Pokes would score, and it was a big one. It was also (at least) Solomon’s third time to force Young into a turnover (which is amazing).

5. Trae’s Last Shot

The Sooners still had a chance to tie or take the lead with 7 seconds remaining. They got the ball into their playmaker’s hands but OSU was able to slow him down with a full-court press.

Once Young got across the time line he had the chance for one shot and Kendall Smith made sure the player freshman with great court vision couldn’t see the basket. The shot was off, the light turned red and the buzzer sounded a good old-fashioned court storming.

OSU eschewed putting a man on the inbounds guy and instead bracketed Young from the beginning of the possession. It turned out to be the right move at the right time.

“At that point, you’re just trying to keep him in front of you and trying to keep him seeing two sets of arms and legs and chests and have as much traffic as possible to make a really tough shot,” said Boytnon after the game. “He can make a shot over one guy at any time, so we thought if he could make a shot over two people then hats off to him for being a great player.”