Cowboys Ride Past Beavers

In a battle of the "Other" OSUs that aren't The OSU, but are both orange and black, Oklahoma St.'s Cowboys rode a 20-3 run over an 8 minute stretch in the latter half of the second half to a 66-53 win Monday night, stay undefeated, and advance to the Heavyweight Championship of the MGM Main Event Tournament.

Much of the game was about riding runs, and after the first quarter of the game saw the Cowboys holding only a 9-8 lead, the Beavers made the first of those runs, reeling off 8 straight points.

But Oklahoma St. answered shortly thereafter with their own 8-0 run, and used another 8-4 run to the end of the first half to take a 30-24 lead to the locker room.

A 3 pointer by Gary Payton II pulled Oregon St. within 4 points early in the second half, down 33-29, but Payton picked up his 3rd personal foul shortly thereafter, barely 3 minutes in.

Olaf Schaftenar hit a 3 pointer, and a couple of made free throws later, the Beavers had fought back within 1 point, down just 37-36.

Oklahoma St.'s Phil Forte III answered with a 3, and though Le'Bryan Nash, who would be the game's leading scorer, picked up his 4th personal with over 13 minutes still to go, the Cowboys still put together a 7-0 run to open a 44-36 lead with 12 1/2 minutes left.

Payton returned to the floor, and Victor Robbins hit a 3 pointer, which sparked an 8-0 Oregon St. run that tied the game at the midway mark of the second half.

That was essentially the end of the trail for the Beavers though, as the Cowboys answered with 7 straight points, starting the game deciding run.

The Beavers were shorted a couple of baskets when the officials waved off a basket for offensive basket interference, and missed a goal tending call, both of which were shown to be in error by replay, and called out as such by the ESPN broadcast crew, but it would have still been an inadequate final quarter of the game offensively, as Oregon St. managed only 3 free throws in 8 minutes.

By that time, the Cowboys had rode to a 64-47 lead, the largest of the game, before late 3 pointers by Langston Morris-Walker and Payton made for the final 13 point differential.

Nash finished with a game high 19 points, and Forte was right behind, with 17 for the Cowboys, who improved to 5-0.

Jeffrey Carroll added 13, 11 in the first half, and a game high 7 rebounds, and Anthony Hickey Jr. was also in double digits, with 12, all in the second half. Hickey was a spark at key junctures for Oklahoma St.

Robbins led the Beavers, with a career high 16 points off the bench, 8 in each half, and Langston Morris-Walker added 13.

Payton was hampered by foul trouble, and was the only other Oregon St. player in double digits, barely, with just 10 points. Payton and Robbins co-led the Beavers on the boards, with 6 apiece.

It was the first loss of the season for Oregon St., dropping them to 3-1. The Beavers will face the loser of tonight's second game in the tournament, between Tulsa and Auburn, Wednesday night at 6 PM for third place, while Oklahoma St. will meet the winner of the Golden Hurricane-Tiger game for the Heavyweight Championship belt.

Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com