On paper, Tuesday nights Big 12 basketball matchup between OSU and Iowa State was a mismatch. Iowa State came in ranked #9, they had the motivation of sticking as a #2 seed, and all the underlying metrics, suggested they would win.
And, there wasn’t a whole lot of grey area either!
But, as we know, games aren’t played on paper, OSU came out ready to play, and for the first time all year, put together 40 minutes worth of A-game effort and execution.
The Pokes scored the 1st bucket of the game, then never trailed on their way to the huge upset 74-68.
Abou Ousmane had a huge game, Arturo Dean was great in every area, Bryce Thompson continued his great Senior campaign, and the Cowboys also got several “unsung” performances from guys like Robert Jennings Jr. and Patrick Suemnick.
There weren’t a ton of fans there, but the fans that were in attendance were engaged from the opening tip and made a difference. And, as a result, Coach Lutz got his biggest win at the Head Coach of Oklahoma State.
OSU shot 42.4% from the field and 26.1% from 3-point range, so tonight wasn’t just an oddball night where an underdog team shot out of their minds.
OSU shot just 2 more free throws than the Cyclones but made 6 more on the night, and shot 81.8% from the charity stripe.
When OSU makes free throws, shares the ball, doesn’t turn it over, and then outscores its opponent on points off of turnovers, that’s the formula for this team to win. And, as tonight shows, against anyone!
OSU was outrebounded by 4, but had 3 more assists than Iowa State, and outscored the Cyclones 24-10 on points off turnovers. OSU also outscored Iowa State 22-9 on Fast Break Points, so it’s not hard to find the areas that won the game for this team.
OSU’s largest lead was 16, and the Cowboys did a good job of maintaining a double-digit lead until well after the under 4:00 timeout, which made the last couple minutes a game pretty much a “Hail Mary” type situation for Iowa State.
This team just showed itself that it can not just compete, but finish the deal against the best teams in the Country, now it needs to take this momentum and use it to finish strong.
I Want Arturo Dean on MY TEAM!
Dude has been Ballin’! 14 points 7 steals, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 6 of 8 from the line tonight, and in his last 2 home games he’s scored 30 points, has 8 assists, just 3 turnovers, 11 rebounds, and is 9 of 19 from the floor.
Well done Arturo!
Abou Ousmane is THE MAN! Dude dropped 25, had a block, 4 steals, 6 boards, and added an assist. Beyond just those numbers, he hit huge shot after huge shot and was a go-to in crunch time.
Abou shot the ball from range, posted up, hit mid-range shots, rebounded, and guarded in the 2nd half without fouling. This was just a great performance! Thanks Abou!
Bryce Thompson crawled into double digits with what might have been the biggest shot of the game. With 1:50, Iowa State had cut the lead to 4, and Thompson came off of a handoff from Ousmane and nailed a 17-foot jumper.
That jumper extended the lead to 6, but it felt like more than just a bucket. It was the final momentum stopper, or answer that OSU needed. Without that shot, not sure what would have happened, TBH.
Also, he only hit 1 3 3-pointer, but it was an answer bucket too after Iowa State had cut a 16-point lead down to 7 with 14 minutes to go.
Thompson had 4 assists and just 1 turnover and made both of his free throws.
Thompson has scored in double digits in 13 games since the New Year. Great player that ALL OSU fans should properly appreciate.
Chi Chi Avery threw in 10 points and had 2 steals, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds. He also made both of his free throws.
Avery has scored exactly 10 points in 3 games in a row and has scored in double digits in 4 games in a row.
Patrick Suemnick put in 6 points in just 10 minutes, so had made a very big impact with the opportunity he was given. He also pulled down an offensive rebound and played good defense in the paint.
Robert Jennings Jr. did a lot of unsung work that went a long way in tonight’s big win. He only played 4 points, and he only played 14 minutes, but he made 2 of the 3 shots he took (both needed), and he pulled down 7 boards.
Much like he’s played recently, if he was getting starter minutes, (32+) he would have had a double-double, or very close, which has been a theme for him in his last several games, Kansas excluded.
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