Bryce Thompson scored 13 points to lead a balanced scoring attack Wednesday night as Oklahoma State stretched its winning streak to five, walloping Chicago State 72-53 in Stillwater, Okla.
Javon Small and Eric Dailey Jr. added 12 apiece for the Cowboys (8-5), who led by as many as 25 points early in the second half and cruised to the finish line in their final tune-up before the start of Big 12 Conference play Saturday against No. 18 Baylor.
Jahsean Corbett scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Cougars (7-14) but didn’t get enough help. Leading scorer Wesley Cardet Jr. made only 2 of 11 shots in 29 minutes and was held to five points, far under his 18.9-per-game average.
It was the fifth straight loss for Chicago State, which has struggled periodically to score points and did so again in this one. The Cougars made only 18 of 62 attempts from the field (29 percent), including 5 of 17 from 3-point range (29.4 percent), and managed just five assists.
Oklahoma State cooled off after a hot first half but still finished the night at 48.1 percent from the field. The Cowboys also earned a 43-31 advantage on the boards.
Oklahoma State didn’t waste much time taking it to an opponent that played on Tuesday night at another Big 12 school, Kansas State, a contest Chicago State lost 62-55 after leading at halftime.
The Cowboys essentially decided the game with a 22-2 run, establishing a 24-6 lead with 12:26 left in the first half when Small connected on two free throws. Chicago State endured a 6:03 scoring drought, missing 13 consecutive shots.
Oklahoma State extended the lead into the 20s for the first time when Thompson sank a 3-pointer with 5:43 left before the break, making it 35-14. The hosts held a 43-25 halftime lead after Mike Marsh made a layup with 37 seconds remaining.
Shooting was the difference. While the Cowboys canned 15 of 26 attempts (57.7 percent) in the first 20 minutes, the Cougars bricked their way to a 9-of-34 performance (26.5 percent).
–Field Level Media