Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton was happy that his team overcame a slow start Friday to edge Oral Roberts in overtime on the road.
But beginning with Wednesday night’s home game against Wichita State in Stillwater, Okla., Boynton says the Cowboys need to get out of the gates a bit quicker.
“It’ll be more difficult to go to West Virginia and do this, to come back and play this well in both halves,” he said to the Oklahoman. “It’ll be a learning experience. It’s better to learn from a win than a loss.”
Thanks to Bryce Williams, Oklahoma State (6-1) got to enjoy its learning experience. He made the Cowboys’ last two buckets of overtime and then forced Oral Roberts star Max Abmas to pass up a highly contested shot as time was expiring.
Abmas passed to Trey Phipps, whose open jumper as time expired found nothing but the outside of the net in the Cowboys’ 78-77 win.
“I was just trying to make it hard,” Williams said.
Kalib Boone’s 10.4 points per game lead a balanced attack for the Cowboys. While Williams averages 10.2 points, seven other players chip in between 6.1 and 9.9 ppg.
Meanwhile, Wichita State (5-1) continued to put together a solid nonconference resume on Friday night when it visited Missouri and emerged with a 61-55 win. The Shockers never trailed and created separation with an 8-0 second half run that gave them an 11-point lead.
“In order to be a team that can go out and get a win, you’ve got to defend, rebound and play with toughness,” said second-year coach Isaac Brown. “And we executed tonight.”
Tyson Etienne tallied 13 of his game-high 18 points in the second half for Wichita State, while centers Morris Udeze and Kenny Pohto supplied 15 and 10 points. Etienne’s 18.6-point scoring leads the Shockers’ attack.
Oklahoma State won last year in Wichita, 67-64.
–Field Level Media
