Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Little Rock
Men's Basketball Downs Arkansas-Little Rock
December 19, 2000 | Cowboy Basketball
Dec. 19, 2000
By THOMAS MULLEN
Associated Press Writer
STILLWATER, Okla.- Jason Keep, Oklahoma State's 280-pound forward, punctuated the opening of newly renovated Gallagher-Iba Arena with a backboard-shattering dunk with 43 seconds left to play in a 70-60 win over Arkansas-Little Rock Tuesday night.
The Cowboys (6-1) were leading 66-58 when Keep grabbed a Trojan turnover at the top of the key, stepped to the basket and stuffed the ball through, pulverizing the backboard.
After the dunk, students rushed onto the floor, scooping up cubes of glass that splayed across the floor while workers hurried to collect them.
Many in the audience left after a public address announcer said the game would be delayed about 30 or 40 minutes.
The Trojans (6-3) took advantage of sloppy and, at times, uninspired play by the Cowboys to hold onto a 56-55 lead with just over six minutes left.
But an ensuing 13-2 OSU run - featuring three powerful dunks by Keep - put the game away for the Cowboys.
Fredrik Jonzen led OSU with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Maurice Baker added 13 points and Victor Williams had 11.
Alan Barksdale paced the Trojans with 20 points.
OSU led 36-28 after a sloppy first half that included 22 turnovers - 16 of them by Arkansas-Little Rock.
OSU got off to an 11-4 lead, but the Trojans battled back and closed to 25-21 on a 3-pointer by Mark Green with 5:13 in the first half.
OSU regained the momentum with three quick steals and a 5-0 run, highlighted by Jonzen grabbing a steal and going the length of the court for a dunk that got the crowd into the game for the first time.
Half an hour after Keep's game-delaying dunk, a dusty goalpost with a nonfunctioning shot clock - a relic from the old arena - was wheeled onto the floor and anchored in place by half a dozen men standing on its base.
