Instacap: Western Kentucky Ends Oklahoma State’s Season, 92-84

Whew, I need a nap. After a wild first three quarters that saw Oklahoma State and Western Kentucky combine to make 48 of their first 97 shots, the Hilltoppers took down the Pokes 92-84 with a closing kick in the last 10 minutes. Oklahoma State did not lead for the final 37 minutes of the evening.

The game started off innocently enough. Western Kentucky did what they do (score) in the first quarter and led 22-15 after 10 minutes. OSU went nuts from deep in the second quarter as they hit four of their five shots from 3 to pull within 2 at the break.

It wasn’t easy, though. OSU trailed the entire quarter, and Hollongsworth (who else?) punched a 3-ball with seconds left in the first half to put the Hilltoppers up 5, but Kendall Smith answered at the buzzer to make it 43-41. Are we sweaty and bothered yet?

The third quarter was more of the same. WKU made eight of the 14 shots they took and pushed the lead to 9. But OSU battled back once again to tie it at 60 on a Jeffrey Carroll free throw. WKU scored a pair of buckets (and I’m not sure anybody scores as dramatically as Western Kentucky) to end the quarter up 64-60.

OSU cut it to 1 point twice in the fourth, but the inflection point in the final quarter and the game was a technical foul on Tavarius Shine with 3:52 left. WKU scored 3 points off of that possession to make the lead 7, and that was all she wrote for the Cowboys coming home. WKU hit 15 free throws after this technical to close out the game.

Western Kentucky shot 52 percent from the field in GIA’s 2017-18 finale, and all five starters scored in double figures. Kendall Smith led the way for OSU in his last game as a Poke with 19 points and 4 assists.

When It Was Over

Here’s the moment. OSU had the ball and was down just four. Who knows if it would have gone differently if Shine hadn’t Mario Bogganed Lamonte Bearden, but I would have at least liked to have seen the alternate ending to this story.

Come on! That was a kiss on the cheek. In France that is a friendly hello! pic.twitter.com/VQiGBeT7Qt

— Barstool Golf School (@BarstoolOKST) March 22, 2018

Player Of The Game

I could give it to Taveion Hollingsworth for the 27 points he scored or Dwight Coleby for his 16-12 line, but this guy was the real MVP on Wednesday evening in GIA.

He can have the site when he’s of age.

There’s a really good chance this kid grows up to takeover @pistolsguys and ultimately roasts me daily on Twitter. Way cooler than I. pic.twitter.com/sCD3MiN0sM

— Eddie Radosevich (@Eddie_Rado) March 22, 2018

ON FIRE pic.twitter.com/z7Tb1rjbFi

— GOLF SCHOOL (@CowboysRFF) March 22, 2018

Stat(S) You Should Know

Here’s what the venerable Kyle Cox wrote about this game this morning.

WKU doesn’t boast the type of strong bodies down low that Stanford does, and the Hilltoppers are ranked just 141st nationally in total offensive rebounds and 174th in offensive rebound percentage. If Mitch Solo, Crime Dog and Co. can outwork Western Kentucky’s big men, I’d give them a good chance to come out on top and start making plans for the Big Apple.

To which WKU said: ??! The Hilltoppers, who have some dudes, scored 50 (!) points in the paint and out-rebounded the Pokes 40-39. Boynton’s crew had no answers down low for anybody on WKU. It wasn’t just big men, either. WKU’s guards were getting into the paint and doing whatever they wanted whenever they wanted to do it … and of course Hollingsworth was hitting from Perkins Road and beyond (he matched a career high with 30).

What’s Next

That’s a wrap on the season. Oklahoma State will open with North Carolina, UCLA, Kentucky, Michigan State and Duke on the road next season in an effort to boost their RPI and never miss the NCAA Tournament again under Boynton.