Oklahoma State Moves Over .500 For First Time This Season With Win Against Wofford
Oklahoma State battled through adversity to secure a winning record for the first time this season.
OSU beat Wofford 76-70 after losing an early double-digit lead. Senior guard Bryce Thompson got going early and led OSU to victory with 19 points, including five makes from 3-point range.
He led the Cowboys’ attack from outside as they made 15 of their season-high 33 attempts. Quion Williams added one of those 3-pointers, and although he struggled to score, he was an important piece for the Cowboys, putting up six rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
OSU was able to build a lead back in the second half, but with two minutes left, Wofford had its deficit cut to three. But after some untimely turnovers by Wofford, OSU extended its lead to 10 and held on for a win.
Wofford continued to attack in the second half, taking its first lead a few possessions into the half behind a couple of makes from Tripp. OSU took the lead back soon after, and the teams traded baskets over the next several minutes. Connor Dow’s 3-pointer then put OSU up three with just more than 10 minutes left.
That shot broke a tie and began a 9-0 run by the Cowboys, which was capped off by Thompson’s steal and slam. Shortly after, Javon Small’s 3-pointer on a second-chance opportunity gave the Cowboys a double-digit lead with less than eight minutes to go.
OSU got out to an early advantage with an efficient offense in the opening minutes. Thompson led the Cowboys early, knocking down three 3-pointers before the first timeout, where OSU held a seven-point lead.
A couple of layups by Mike Marsh put the Cowboys up 24-11 for their biggest lead of the half, but the Terriers responded. Most of the damage was done by Kyler Filewich and Corey Tripp.
Filewich, Wofford’s starting center, racked up 12 points and six rebounds by halftime, with all six of his makes coming on layups. Meanwhile, Tripp scored eight points, added a couple of assists and made a layup that cut Wofford’s deficit to two to end the half.
Filewich’s presence inside helped the Terriers outscore the Cowboys 26-6 in the paint in the first half. While Filewich struggled to make the same impact in the second half, Tripp took the initiative for the Terriers and finished with 24 points on 11-of-20 shooting.
OSU does not have another game until Dec. 31, when it continues its homestand against South Carolina 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.