Daryl Banks III hit the tying and go-ahead free throws with 20.3 seconds left as St. Bonaventure mounted the final surge in a game of runs to edge Oklahoma State 66-64 in the first game of the Legends Classic on Thursday night in New York.
Mika Adams-Woods finished with a game-high 17 points for St. Bonaventure (2-1), which will play the winner of Thursday’s late game between Auburn and Notre Dame in the championship game Friday night. Banks scored 14 points while Assa Essamvous (13 points) and Chad Venning (10 points) also got into double figures for the Bonnies.
Eric Dailey Jr. scored 14 points for Oklahoma State (1-2), which will oppose the Auburn-Notre Dame loser in Friday’s consolation game. John-Michael Wright added 14 points off the bench for the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State trailed 53-48 before going on a 14-5 run. Wright’s three-point play put Oklahoma State up 60-58 and Dailey concluded the run with a layup at the 2:07 mark.
St. Bonaventure missed two shots on its next possession but Essamvous drew a foul while trying to put back a rebound and hit both free throws.
Wright missed a layup and Mike Marsh fouled Adams-Woods as he pulled down the rebound. Adams-Woods hit both free throws and Quion Williams responded with a layup to put Oklahoma State ahead 64-62 with 38 seconds left.
Wright then fouled Banks while the latter hoisted a 3-pointer. After he sank all three shots, Javon Small missed a scoop layup along the baseline. Noel Brown hit one of two free throws for St. Bonaventure, which was 13-of-14 from the line in the second half, and Small’s stepback 3-pointer rimmed in and out at the buzzer.
Oklahoma State had 10-2 and 7-0 runs in the first half, while St. Bonaventure had 9-2 and 12-3 runs before taking a 30-29 lead at intermission. The Cowboys ripped off a 14-0 run in the second half to take a 45-35 lead before the Bonnies responded with an 18-3 surge.
–Field Level Media