Oklahoma State Beats West Virginia for First Big 12 Win

The Cowboys finally got over the hump at home against the Mountaineers.

Oklahoma State’s search for its first conference win is finally over after its first win in more than three weeks.

OSU beat West Virginia 70-66 to snap a six-game losing streak. After trailing for most of the second half, OSU turned the game in its favor in the closing minutes.

Javon Small’s 3-pointer gave OSU a one-point lead with less than a minute remaining before getting a stop on the other end. After Brandon Garrison nailed a couple of free throws, OSU got another stop to help seal the win.

Bryce Thompson’s 3-pointer put the Cowboys back in the lead with about three minutes left. But the Mountaineers quickly regained their advantage after Brandon Garrison was called for a goaltend on the other end.

West Virginia’s offensive attack was led by its outside shooting, with Kerr Kriisa leading the team in scoring. His 6-of-8 performance from beyond the arc helped WVU build a lead in the second half.

Back-to-back makes from him put the Mountaineers up six with less than seven minutes left before the Cowboys took the lead back a few minutes later.

Noah Farrakhan boosted the Mountaineers in the second half and helped them regain the lead midway through. In a 9-0 run to go ahead, Farrakhan scored a couple of layups and set up another two baskets on his way to nine points and three assists.

OSU’s offensive struggles continued against WVU, particularly from the outside. While OSU (9-11 overall, 1-6 Big 12) had issues scoring at all levels, it shot just 8-of-27 from beyond the arc.

But getting inside worked for a couple of Cowboys throughout the afternoon. Small and Garrison were the team’s leading scorers with 15 and 20, respectively. Small also added 12 rebounds and seven assists.

After the Cowboys built their largest lead of the first half at seven points, the Mountaineers (7-13, 2-5) answered with a 13-0 run. Quinn Slazinski did much of the damage in that stretch, with eight of his 10 first-half points coming in that run.

Still, OSU recovered to get within one point at halftime. But it stayed even with WVU on paint points and led the rebounding battle, both positive signs.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like AllPokes on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.