Though challenged early, Oklahoma State pulled away late in the first half and emerged with a 92-65 victory over Houston Christian on Friday night in Stillwater, Okla.
Mike Marsh led the way offensively for Oklahoma State (3-3), with a team-high 14 points on a 6-of-9 shooting performance. Eric Dailey Jr. and Jarius Hicklen each tallied 12 points as six Cowboys reached double figures. For Houston Christian (0-4), Marcus Greene finished with 16 points and Jay Alvarez added 15.
A tightly contested opening half saw Oklahoma State jump out to a 4-0 lead before Houston Christian quickly responded with a 4-0 run of its own, tying the score at the 17:29 mark. Six lead changes followed with the margin remaining within three points until Hicklen connected on a 3-pointer that gave the Cowboys a 17-12 advantage with 13:50 left in the half.
An 8-0 run from Houston Christian saw the Huskies take back the lead 20-17 on Alvarez’s 3-pointer at the 12:11 mark. The Cowboys gained separation as the clock ticked below 10 minutes, with 3-pointers on consecutive possessions giving Oklahoma State a 29-25 lead. Javon Small’s fast-break layup with 7:16 remaining extended the Cowboys’ lead to 33-25 as they began pulling away.
With 4:06 left, Connor Dow converted on a pair of free throws, with the second giving Oklahoma State its first double-digit lead of the contest at 41-31. The Cowboys closed the first half on a 9-4 run, with Dailey Jr.’s layup giving the hosts a 52-37 cushion at the intermission.
In the second half, Houston Christian went cold on the offensive end. After Michael Imariagbe’s layup for the Huskies at the 18:37 mark, Houston Christian did not record another field goal until Alvarez’s layup with 10:40 remaining. By that point, Oklahoma State led 73-46, having scored 21 of the first 30 points in the second half.
With 10:15 left, Oklahoma State’s Jamyron Keller connected on a 3-pointer, putting the Cowboys in front by 30 (76-46) for the first time. The Cowboys maintained that lead down the stretch but were scoreless for the game’s final 3:11 as Houston Christian tallied the final four points on a pair of layups.
–Field Level Media