Five Thoughts on Oklahoma State’s 103-77 Victory against Bethune Cookman

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STILLWATER — The Cowboys will enter Big 12 play at 12-1.

Oklahoma State thumped Bethune Cookman 103-77 on Monday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena to close out the Cowboys’ nonconference slate. Here are five thoughts on the game.

1. Anthony Roy Scores an Efficient 27

Anthony Roy has now scored at least 27 points in seven basketball games across his career, but Monday marked the first time he got to that number while hitting only two 3-pointers.

The Wildcats couldn’t keep Roy (or OSU in general) off the foul line, as Roy went 15-for-15 from the charity stripe.

This marked an OSU-high for Roy and his second straight game in the 20s after pouring in 22 against Cal State-Fullerton.

“Just find a way to score,” Roy said. “I feel like my teammates trust me. If my shot’s not falling, I know to get to the paint and draw fouls and just try to see something go in.”

2. Defense Report

The Cowboys’ defense has been the biggest worry entering Big 12 play, but OSU put together one of its better defensive performances of recent weeks on Monday night.

Bethune Cookman scored on 46% of its shot attempts, which isn’t super great, but the Cowboys did force the Wildcats into 19 turnovers, which led to 31 OSU points. Bethune Cookman, by the way, scored just two points off turnovers.

Lutz implored a wrinkle that he hadn’t used as much this season before Monday night with a halfcourt trap with the long but nimble Christian Coleman forcing the ballhandler to one side of the floor before a guard would pounce when the ball got past halfcourt.

OSU also forced a five-second call late, which I believe is the first time that’s happened this season.

“It reminded me a little bit of our team we had last year,” OSU coach Steve Lutz said. “I thought we were more active. I thought that our hands were better. I thought that we were just more aggressive. Obviously we played a lot of the 1-2-2 (the halfcourt trap) tonight, which we haven’t done, but I think that can be a good tool for us in the Big 12.

“I thought that the guys, they’re trying more to do what is asked of them defensively.”

3. Ben Ahmed Is Going to Be Really Good

On back-to-back first-half possessions, Ben Ahmed had a big block that led to an OSU dunk.

On the first, he got a fingertip on an attempted floater before perfectly leading a downcourt pass to Vyctorius Miller for a jam.

Then Ahmed stuffed Seneca Willoughby to the point where Willoughby ended up on the White Maple hardwood, and the Pokes pushed up the floor and got a Jaylen Curry-to-Isaiah Coleman alley-oop.

For a team that needed a defensive spark, the freshman big provided one.

Ahmed finished with five points, three boards, two blocks and an assist.

He is absolutely oozing potential with his 6-foot-10, 275-pound frame and his 7-foot-3 wingspan. It isn’t just that he has those measurables, though. His motor makes that frame a real problem for opposing teams.

Ahmed missed a free throw in the first half but sprawled out on Eddie Sutton Court to get the rebound, a fight that earned OSU a layup. If I see a 6-10, 275-pound man dive on the floor for a loose ball, I’m probably going to get out of the way.

.@bigbe_nn with the EFFORT, @swaggyzayy with the finish 💪 pic.twitter.com/QNFuJrdNgA

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) December 30, 2025

He still has some room for growth with his back to the basket, but consider me impressed just three games into his college career.

4. Fallah, Clary Return/Mantzoukas, Vukovic Out

Parsa Fallah made his return to the floor after missing the Cowboys’ past two games with a back injury.

The Cowboy center finished with 12 points and 10 boards in 21 minutes against the Wildcats. Bethune Cookman struggled keeping him off the glass in general, but especially early, as Fallah had four rebounds in the first five minutes of the contest.

“I’m feeling great,” Fallah said. “We had four, five days off for Christmas, and because I didn’t play, I decided to not go nowhere. I stayed here and tried to work out, get back in shape and take care of my back.

“It was tough. My wife was kinda mad at me. She wanted a break, but I think because of that, that I stayed here, I really feel good now.”

Point guard Kanye Clary also returned. He officially only missed the Cal State-Fullerton game, but he went down with what looked like a scary leg injury just 1:18 into the Kansas City contest.

In his return, Clary put up 10 points and had three assists.

Lefteris Mantzoukas, though, missed his third straight game, and Andrija Vukovic sat, as well, with undisclosed injuries.

“It’s gonna be game to game, is my guess, with both of them, but I expect them to play, for sure,” Lutz said. “It’s gonna be day to day and game to game.”

5. The Big 12 Awaits

Well, all that’s next for the Cowboys are 18 games in the toughest conference in America.

OSU opens its Big 12 slate against No. 15 Texas Tech in Lubbock, no less. Just how tough is the Big 12? Well, the Red Raiders are the fifth-highest ranked team in the conference, and they have a neutral-site win against Duke.

If the Cowboys commit to the defensive end, they’ll be able to compete in just about all 18 of those games. If they don’t, the league will be more unforgiving than it already is.

“You should never take for granted being 12-1,” Lutz said. “I still think that we have a lot of room for growth on the defensive end, but the fact of the matter is that other than the Bedlam game, which was obviously a big one, we’ve handled our business and figured out ways to win.

“We’ve just gotta continue that moving forward, but we’re walking into the best league in the country, and that’s no easy task.”

Steve Lutz’s Postgame

Up Next

Opponent: Texas Tech
Time: Noon Saturday
Location: Lubbock, Texas
TV: ESPN2