Oklahoma State traveled to icy Wichita, Kansas, to take on the Wichita State Shockers. An energized and warm arena quickly became chilly for the home squad as the Cowboys delivered the Shockers their worst home loss under Gregg Marshall.

Wichita State was 60-1 in their last home games, and have won seven straight games at Intrust Bank Arena. In a building in which the Shockers have never lost, Oklahoma State dominated from the opening jump. The Cowboys got out to an early 9-1 lead and they never looked back. The closest the Shockers would come to getting back in the game came at the 5:15 mark, when they cut the Cowboy lead to 10.

They wouldn’t get closer for the rest of the evening.

A win like that, against a perennial NCAA Tournament team should do wonders for this team. Not only should it bring even more confidence to this team, but they’ve now grabbed wins over UConn, Georgetown (who beat Syracuse on the road today), and Wichita State on the road.

These Cowboys are no fluke.

Let’s get to some thoughts:

• This was a statement win. You’re not supposed to beat Wichita State on their home floor, let alone in a building that they’ve never lost in. You were nine-point underdogs for a reason. This win, over the KenPom #18 team in the country, is a resumé builder come March. The rest of the country should take notice of the Pokes now. What they did tonight is not something that just happens. It was a completely dominant performance and will pay dividends when it comes tournament time.
• This was some of the best basketball we’ve seen from Oklahoma State in the last decade, and that’s probably not an exaggeration. Dave Hunziker categorized this win with the likes of beating Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse three years ago. I think I agree.
• SPEAKING OF ALLEN FIELDHOUSE ... How much fun is that trip to Lawrence going to be on Jan. 14? Thomas Dziagwa will be in his element in the Phog:

• Let’s talk about those freshmen, while we’re at it. At one point in the first half, with the game still not out of reach, Oklahoma State had four freshmen and Jeffrey Carroll on the floor. They were up nine when that lineup came on the floor, and they went to the half up 16. These freshmen are for real, and they’re providing an excellent foundation for the future. Look around at the guys who are giving valuable minutes and tell me which one of them leaves early... The answer is none of them. Underwood has five freshmen who are playing 10+ minutes per game, and they’re improving quickly. Think about what they can still accomplish this year, but you should be pinching yourself about their potential. And when you bring in three four-star recruits to compliment that? Just shut it down.
• Jawun Evans said this on the postgame radio show: “I give it all to my freshmen, though.” How awesome is that?
• Dave Hunziker asked Brad Underwood if he saw this performance coming. His answer: “No.”
• They’re having fun. The guys are laughing, patting opposing players on the hindquarters after striping threes, and they’re playing winning basketball. This is going to be a fun season. I think this sums it up:

• Evans and Carroll stole the show, with both scoring 22 points. But everybody contributed tonight. Leyton Hammonds had 12 points, Phil Forte (who has been colder than the icy streets of Wichita) had 11, Dziagwa had 9, Brandon Averette had 8. If you’re getting those kinds of performances from role players, coupled with a career night from Carroll, you’re going to have a good time.
• This is true. Evans was on a different level tonight.

• It’s important to note that Evans only played 24 minutes tonight. The Cowboys were without their best player for just under half of the game. And they did the dang thing. Incredible.

FULL BOX SCORE (Courtesy of ESPN.com):

Up Next: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 12 P.M., Thursday, Dec. 22 in Stillwater.