Oklahoma State Falls to Oklahoma at Buzzer in Thrilling Bedlam Matchup
Oklahoma State seemingly overcame its early season demons, but they returned in full force in Bedlam.
OSU lost 84-82 to Oklahoma in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Saturday in the final scheduled matchup between the teams. Despite leading for almost the entire game, OSU’s late-game issues thwarted its chance of getting the last laugh against its in-state rival.
Javon Small couldn’t finish at the rim, leaving the Sooners a chance to win the game trailing by one. Javian McCollum’s 3-pointer gave the Sooners the win at the buzzer.
A flurry of and-ones from both teams led to a two-point OU lead with 1:51 left in overtime. John-Michael-Wright’s 3-pointer a possession later put OSU back in front 82-81.
Otega Oweh fouled Small with 4.3 left, sending him to the line for a one-and-one. Small missed the first free throw after his layup tied the game with 41.8 left.
Oweh’s rebound and second-chance layup gave OU its first lead of the second half with just more than three minutes left. OSU quickly regained the lead as the teams traded baskets down the stretch.
Jamyron Keller’s jam off the lob from Quion Williams forced Porter Moser into a timeout with less than six minutes left as OSU looked to hang on to its slim lead. OSU coach Mike Boynton ripped off his orange blazer in excitement as his team looked to close against its biggest rival.
Rivaldo Soares was a catalyst for OU in the second half, scoring 14 of his 20 points after halftime. His four-point play midway through the second half saw Brandon Garrison pick up his fourth foul.
After a rough first half, OU looked to cut into its deficit out of halftime. A quick 6-0 OU run made it a one-possession game before Williams’ powerful right-handed slam on Sam Godwin ignited Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Williams was consistently in the middle of every play against the Sooners. Williams, a sophomore, finished with a career-high 21 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.
Garrison got in foul trouble to end the first half and got his third foul early in the second half, clearing the way for Eric Dailey Jr. to shine. Dailey finished with a career-high 20 points off the bench to go with nine rebounds and four assists.
OU’s offense struggled to get into a rhythm throughout the first half. OU shot only 2-of-14 from beyond the arc and had three assists.
Small’s 10 first-half points helped OSU to a 38-30 halftime lead. Small joined Dailey, who scored 11, as the only players to score in double figures in the first half.
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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.