Moussa Cisse scored 12 points to lead Oklahoma State to an 80-58 victory over UMass Lowell on Tuesday night in the first of two games the teams will play at the Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase in Uncasville, Conn.
Cisse was one of five players who scored in double figures to help the Cowboys (3-1) lead wire-to-wire and control things on the offensive end and on the glass. Cisse collected 11 rebounds for his double-double and Bryce Thompson added 14 points.
Everette Hammond led UMass Lowell (2-1) with 10 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
But Hammond was one of the few bright spots for the River Hawks, who had trouble throughout the game with Oklahoma State’s full-court pressure.
UMass Lowell was limited to 36.2 percent shooting from the field and 5 for 21 from 3-point range. And those numbers only improved slightly thanks to the Hawks shooting 44 percent in the second half.
OSU continued to move the ball inside and led by as many as 24 points late.
Three River Hawks players scored eight or more points and Max Brooks totaled eight rebounds.
But the front line of the Cowboys proved too much.
The Cowboys did the majority of their damage in the paint where they outscored the River Hawks 44-24. Oklahoma State’s first eight field goals all came in the paint and it outrebounded UMass Lowell 37-27 for the game.
The Cowboys held UMass Lowell to 10 for 33 shooting in the first half while they shot 57.1 percent.
Bryce Williams finished with 12 points and four assists, while Thompson had four helpers and shot 5 of 6 from the field. Avery Anderson III and Keylan Boone each scored 11 points.
The Hall of Fame Showcase will conclude with another doubleheader on Wednesday as UMass Lowell takes on Central Connecticut State followed by Oklahoma State playing NC State.
For the Cowboys, it will be a test of endurance as they will play their fifth game in a span of eight days.
–Field Level Media
