Oklahoma State Uses Second-Half Surge to Avoid Southern Illinois' Upset Bid
The Cowboys looked destined for a tight finish, but a massive run kept Oklahoma State unbeaten with ease.
OSU beat Southern Illinois 85-78 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater on Thursday. Moving to 3-0, OSU secured its best start since 2020-21.
OSU’s 18-4 after Southern Illinois tied the game in the second half provided the largest lead of the night. With defensive intensity, Steve Lutz’s team forced tough shots and turnovers throughout the second half to secure a 3-0 start.
Brandon Newman had a few buckets in that run on his way to an 18-point night. Meanwhile, Abou Ousmane added 18 points and three offensive rebounds in his return.
Coming out of halftime, Southern Illinois took the lead with an Elijah Elliott jumper, but their advantage was short-lived. A subsequent 8-0 run from OSU, capped off by an Abou Ousmane steal and Bryce Thompson fastbreak layup, prompted a timeout. Thompson’s 3-pointer on the first possession out of the timeout pushed OSU to its largest lead at 49-39.
However, the Salukis responded as they had all night. A 10-0 Southern Illinois run tied the game, with Elliot continuing to cause problems for OSU throughout the stretch. However, the Salukis could never break the seal, and OSU quickly regained the lead and never lost it.
The Cowboys struggled to get into any rhythm in the first few minutes, trailing 10-2 through five minutes. Making only one of their first nine shots, the Cowboys’ offense was nonexistent to begin the contest.
Over the next few minutes, OSU bounced back, using an 8-0 run to help take a one-point lead into the under-8 timeout. While the Cowboys held a lead after a nice run, the rest of the half was a sloppy battle.
Abou Ousmane’s dunk in the final seconds of the half put OSU up four before Southern Illinois’ Elijah Elliott’s 3-pointer brought the Salukis within one for a 38-37 halftime score.
The Cowboys will get a week off before tipping off the Charleston Classic against Florida Atlantic next Thursday.
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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.