3 Takeaways from Oklahoma State's Impressive Big 12 Win Over No. 25 UCF
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Oklahoma State responded to its tough loss in the Big 12 opener and earned a ranked win.
On Tuesday night, OSU beat No. 25 UCF 87-76 in Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater to secure its first Big 12 win of the season. With defense leading the way in the first half, the Cowboys got out to a double-digit lead against UCF.
While the Knights continued to make pushes and found some rhythm after halftime, the Cowboy offense was in its typical form in the second half to get the win. OSU had four players finish in double figures, with Kanye Clary’s 15-point second-half eruption helping him get to 18 for the night and carry the Pokes home.
3 takeaways from OSU’s win over No. 25 UCF:
Parsa Fallah is the Cowboys’ rock
OSU has had a successful season up to this point, and its Iranian big man has been a significant piece of that. After scoring the Pokes’ first six points against UCF, Fallah continued to settle in, finishing the night with a 24-point performance on 8-of-13 shooting.
Although the Cowboys’ offense hasn’t exactly been one that struggles to score, his consistency on the interior becomes much more valuable against Big 12 competition. Throughout the night, the Cowboys could rely on their big man to get a bucket or draw a double and kick to a teammate.
OSU’s defense might finally be turning a corner
After allowing 102 points in a blowout loss at Texas Tech to begin conference play, the Cowboys were tasked with playing another top 25 team with an electric offense in their second Big 12 game. This time, they responded.
While the Knights still finished with (a season-low) 76 for the night, the Cowboys stifled UCF’s offense in the first half. The Knights managed 32 points while shooting just 11-of-35 from the field and 1-of-14 from deep, with OSU also forcing six turnovers.
After a nice start to the second half for UCF that finally saw some shots go down from outside, the Cowboys capitalized on the Knights’ frantic and desperate pace in the final minutes of the second half to finish off the ranked squad.
3-point shooting can change everything
After making just one of their first 17 threes, UCF’s Themus Fulks knocked down his squad’s second of the night just before the under-12 timeout. Going into that timeout, Anthony Roy’s three pushed OSU’s lead back up to six, getting the Cowboys to a blistering 8-of-16 from deep on the night.
While the Pokes’ overall defensive effort and offensive execution helped OSU get into a position to take down a top 25 opponent, the outside shooting discrepancy played a significant role in their success.
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.