RECAP: Oklahoma State Claims Third Place with 73-67 Victory

The Oklahoma State Cowboys shook off last night’s loss to a very good Texas A&M team and earned a 73-67 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers. With the win, Mike Boynton’s squad claims third place in the 2017 Legends Classic.

After taking last night to knock off the rust, Jeffrey Carroll rebounded in a big way. Carroll was forced to sit out the first four games of his senior campaign as the FBI corruption scandal continued.

Carroll was cleared to play stating last night against Texas A&M, where he was clearly not ready to go. The Cowboys’ leader had four points on 2-of-12 shooting from the line last night. He had five points in the first seven minutes of the game this afternoon - and was nowhere near done.

The senior guard finished with a career-high 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting, nine rebounds, two assists and two turnovers. He was 2-of-5 from beyond the arc and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line. Carroll looks ready to reclaim his starting spot on the team and show why he is one of the best in the Big 12.

Sophomore sharpshooter Thomas Dziagwa finished second on the team with 14 points, including 4-of-7 from behind the 3-point line, two rebounds, an assist and a steal.

The game was under the Cowboys’ control for the large majority of the 40 minutes. Oklahoma State secured the lead at the 10:28 mark of the first half and never surrendered it again.

It was a relatively close game, with the teams trading blows. Pitt’s biggest lead was five, while the Cowboys weren’t able to break away either, with their biggest lead staying in single digits at nine points.

A turning point in this game was rebounds. The Cowboys outrebounded the Panthers 43-29, including a 17-6 advantage on the offensive boards. Anytime a team gets that kind of advantage and can convert the offensive rebounds into second-chance points, that team will be difficult to beat.

Up next, the Cowboys will return home to face off with Houston Baptist Sunday the 26th. The eight-game homestand will get started at 2 p.m. inside historic Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, come back to Stillwater for Senior Day on Saturday and stay for basketball Sunday.

#GYAtoGIA