Instant Recap: Oklahoma State Earns Tough Road Win over Cincinnati 80-76

Don’t look now, but the Cowboys are on a winning streak.

Oklahoma State defeated Cincinnati 80-76 on Wednesday after fighting back from a late deficit and playing some clutch basketball in crunch time. It moved the Cowboys to 12-14 and 4-9 in Big 12 play, and it’s their first conference road win of the season.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, but the Cowboys came out just a little bit better thanks to a pair of 8-0 runs in the final seven minutes of the period to take a 37-32 lead into the break.

The Bearcats fought back some of the momentum and held a lead for most of the second half. But the Cowboys went on another 8-0 run to take control, and then were able to ice it from the charity stripe.

Brandon Garrison came into this one fresh off of a career-best 21 points in the win over BYU. His hand was still hot from the tipoff. The freshman scored 10 of his 14 points in the first 11 minutes of the game.

But OSU spread the scoring around with five Cowboys scoring in double digits, led by Javon Small’s game-leading 19, plus Eric Dailey Jr. scoring nine, including a huge late 3-pointer.

After a stellar first start Saturday, freshman Jamyron Keller continued a solid week with 15 points. Quion Williams also scored 12 and John-Michael Wright added 11 to put all of OSU’s starting five in double figures.

OSU’s hot shooting continued from last weekend with the Pokes shooting 56% from the field and 41% from deep. The Cowboys edged out the turnover battle 13-14, but the Pokes scored 17 points off of TOs compared to Cincy’s 10.

Coming into this one, OSU was just 2-8 in games decided by five or fewer, having let several games slip right through its fingers. But the young Cowboys seem to be growing and getting better.

Jamyron Keller got fouled on a 3-point attempt with 3:43 left and iced all three to give the Cowboys their first lead since the 10:46 mark. Aziz Bandaogo took back the lead on the next possession with an and-1 before Eric Dailey Jr nailed a 3 on the next one to put OSU back up. John-Michael Wright hit another deep ball to put the Pokes up 72-68 with 2:15 to go. Quion Williams dropped a couple of free throws to complete the Cowboys’ 8-0 run.

Cincinnati’s Simas Lukosius nailed a clutch 3 to bring UC to within 74-71 with 1:18 and then a loose ball on the other end went the Bearcats’ way. They were able to pull within 74-73 with 24 seconds to go and played the foul game, but the Pokes weren’t yet in the bonus. When a Cowboy did finally get to the line, it was 86% shooter Javon Small. He was sent twice on one-and-one attempts and nailed all four.

The Big 12’s worst free-throw shooting team won this one from the stripe. After missing its only attempt in the first half, OSU went 13-of-13 in the second, including making all 11 free shots in the final 3:43 of regulation.

When UC pulled back within three but with a one-and-one opportunity, OSU elected to foul with four seconds to go. Day Day Thomas made the first one then purposefully missed the second, but Keller ran down the defensive board and got fouled with two seconds to go. The freshman knocked down both of them to ice the game.

Next Up

The Cowboys return home to Stillwater for Round 2 of Bedlam, the final scheduled episode of the in-state rivalry, at 3 p.m. Saturday.