Oklahoma State Can't Hang With No. 13 Oklahoma in Bedlam
One night after Cowboy wrestling had a triumphant Bedlam victory in Norman, Oklahoma State basketball followed with an embarrassing Bedlam performance.
On Saturday, OSU fell to Oklahoma 80-65 in the lone men’s basketball meeting at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. With the first neutral-site, regular-season Bedlam matchup in decades, the Sooners dominated from the start and never let OSU into the game.
After a horrendous first half, OSU didn’t do much to correct its issues in the second half. OSU finished the game shooting 22-of-56 from the field and turned the ball over 16 times. After losing both matchups last season, OSU is now on a three-game losing streak in Bedlam.
With just under nine minutes left in the first half, Brandon Newman lost the ball on the perimeter, which led to an easy layup in transition for the Sooners. That was the latest play of a lengthy stretch without an OSU field goal. After Abou Ousmane scored a layup with 13:51 left in the half, OSU didn’t make another shot until Jamyron Keller hit a 3-pointer at the 5:35 mark.
That eight-plus minute stretch without a bucket highlighted the Cowboys’ issues in the first half. Steve Lutz’s team entered halftime with 11 turnovers and seven made baskets, trailing 43-26.
Luke Northweather’s 3-pointer to cap off the half helped the Sooners carry all of the momentum into halftime. While there were still another 20 minutes to play, the game felt out of reach despite it only being a 17-point margin.
Getting into a rhythm in Oklahoma City proved difficult for the Cowboys in the opening minutes, making only two of their first 10 shots. While the Cowboys’ struggles didn’t lead to a large deficit to begin the game, the Sooners had clear momentum throughout the first several minutes.
The Cowboys will look to get out to a better start back in their own building on Wednesday when they host Tarleton State.
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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.