Big First Half Leads Oklahoma State Past Oral Roberts
Oklahoma State’s offense took a step forward with a big win Sunday.
OSU beat Oral Roberts 81-60 to move to 5-5 this season. Outside shooting helped OSU build and extend an early advantage in its wire-to-wire victory.
The Cowboys nailed 14 3-pointers, good for their second-best mark this season. While the outside shooting was eye-catching, the Cowboys made it a point to get their teammates involved and finished with 24 assists on 31 made baskets.
Javon Small has led OSU in scoring this season and scored seven points, including a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession, but his playmaking took center stage against ORU. The guard dished out eight assists and was instrumental in pushing OSU’s lead in the first half.
Among those finds was Small’s lob to Jamyron Keller for an unconventional finish, which gave OSU its largest lead of the first half to head into the last media timeout. From there, OSU’s 16-point lead ballooned to 21 by halftime, with Jamyron Keller’s 3-pointer capping off the hot shooting half.
That shot also capped off a 17-2 run to end the half for the Cowboys. Along with outside shooting, the Cowboys forced nine turnovers, scoring 14 points off those before halftime.
The Golden Eagles’ outside shooting kept them within striking distance in the first half. They shot 5-of-9 from deep before halftime, but giving up a late run substantially hurt their chances of winning.
Beginning 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, the Cowboys led 25-13 with 12:29 still left in the first half after Dailey’s first 3-pointer. Bryce Thompson was at the forefront of the Cowboys’ 3-point shooting before halftime, nailing a team-high four shots from that range for the game.
OSU’s starting frontcourt had one of its best showings this season. Freshmen Eric Dailey Jr. and Brandon Garrison both made their presence felt against ORU.
Dailey finished with his second career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Garrison had an impressive all-around game with eight points, nine rebounds and six assists.
OSU will get a chance to move its record over .500 for the first time this season against Wofford on Wednesday.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.