Oklahoma State Basketball Takes Double-Digit Loss to Creighton
The Oklahoma State Cowboys, coming off two straight wins, hosted the No. 15 Creighton Jayhawks in a Big 12/Big East battle. It was always going to be a tough game for the Cowboys, who were outmatched on the offensive side of the floor.
This proved to be true as the Cowboys dropped the 79-65 game to the Bluejays to drop their record to 3-4 on the season.
Early in the game, though, the Bluejays offense was no issue for the Cowboys. Through eight minutes, they led 14-11 behind some solid, high-energy defense and big plays from Javon Small.
Still, basketball is a game of runs, and the Bluejays had two big ones in their back pocket in the first half. They went on two separate big runs -- a 12-2 run and a 17-0 run -- to take a 47-29 lead by halftime. The Cowboys' offense went stale and had a lack of ball movement, which consequently led to bad shot attempts.
Creighton's Steven Ashworth had 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the first half, followed by 12 points and six rebounds from Ryan Kalkbrenner.
Small had 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting for the Cowboys in the first half, with Eric Dailey being the second-leading scorer with seven points on 3-of-3 shooting.
Early in the second half, it seemed as if the Cowboys were ready to make a comeback. They brought energy once again. Later in the half, Small hit what felt like a huge 3-pointer, though it cut the deficit to 62-50. The Bluejays responded to every small run and momentum swing the Cowboys had.
The Cowboys couldn't string together enough consecutive stops to make any substantial runs, and the two big runs they gave up in the first half dug a hole too big for them to get out of.
In his homecoming to the Sooner State, Trey Alexander posted 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. His dad, who coaches at a high school in Oklahoma, was able to watch him play.
Four of the five starters for Creighton finished the game in double figures, all having over 15 points. The Bluejays won in the margins, too, outrebounding and racking up more assists than the Cowboys. Sprinkle in more efficient shooting, and the Cowboys were just outmatched in this one.
Oklahoma State was led by Small, who ended with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting and 3-of-4 on 3-pointers. Dailey backed this up with an impressive double-double, adding 12 points and ten rebounds while shooting 4-of-6 from the field.
The Cowboys played the Bluejays well for the most part, and the two big runs for the Bluejays, which also included dry spells from the Cowboys offense, impacted the game in a huge way.
Now 3-4 on the season, the Cowboys have to regroup as they take on Southern Illinois on Dec. 5 in an opportunity to bounce back and return to .500. Finishing out non-conference play will be huge as Big 12 play will be even more difficult for the Cowboys.
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