Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Hosts Final Exhibition Game
November 17, 2002 | Cowboy Basketball
Nov. 17, 2002
Oklahoma State Cowboys
(1-0 in exhibitions) hosts the Branch West Basketball Academy (3-3) in Exhibition Action
Monday, Nov. 18, 2002 * 7 p.m.
Gallagher-Iba Arena [13,611] * Stillwater, Okla.
Monday's Game
Oklahoma State closes out the exhibition portion of its schedule on Monday, Nov. 18, as the Cowboys host Branch West Basketball Academy. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Tickets Available
A limited number of tickets are available for the Cowboys' exhibition game with the Branch West Basketball Academy on Monday night. The tickets are general admission and $20 each. For more information, contact the OSU Athletics Ticket Office at 1-877-ALL-4-OSU.
About the Cowboys
Oklahoma State enters its 94th season of basketball with an all-time record of 1,317 wins and 952 losses, a .580 winning percentage. The Cowboys have won two national championships (1945-46), appeared in five Final Fours, and made 19 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including 10 in the Sutton era. In fact, Coach Sutton has more wins (272) in his 12 years as the OSU head coach than the previous five coaches had (242) in a combined 20 seasons.
Last Time Out For OSU
Oklahoma State had five guards score in double figures, and OSU shot 60 percent for the game as the Cowboys defeated Global Sports, 86-63, in exhibition action last Tuesday. Senior Cheyne Gadson led all scorers with 18 points while also dishing out a game-high six assists. Newcomer Tony Allen added 16 for OSU, while senior Victor Williams (13 points), senior Melvin Sanders (10) and juco transfer Janavor Weatherspoon (10) all scored in double figures. Junior Ivan McFarlin grabbed a team-high nine boards as OSU outrebounded Global Sports, 40-33. The Cowboy defense also limited Global Sports to just 36 percent shooting from the floor, and forced 27 turnovers.
About Branch West Basketball Academy
Branch West Basketball Academy, coached by former Sutton assistant Bob Gottlieb, is 3-3 so far in its tour of the Western part of the U.S., including wins in its last two outings. BWBA lost to Miami of Ohio and San Diego State, before picking up its first win, a 71-67 victory over Lamar. BWBA lost to Mississippi State by 24, before a earning a huge upset, 92-67, over UCLA. The Academy won its last meeting, an 83-78 win over Marshall on Saturday night.
Last Time Out For Branch West Basketball
Ron Bruton, a former Southwest Missouri State Bear, scored 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting, and Nate Pondexter also scored 21 as the Academy defeated Marshall, 83-78. BWBA shot a tour-high 54.1 percent from the floor in the game. Former Cowboy Doug Gottlieb, coming off perhaps the most offensive game of his career, had nine assists and eight rebounds vs. Marshall. In the UCLA game, Gottlieb was 6-of-6 from the floor, including 4-of-4 from three-point range.
Four Seniors Return For Final Season
Four Cowboys enter the 2002-03 season as seniors. Andre Williams, a senior from Kansas City, Kan., is the lone four-year senior on the squad. Victor Williams, Kansas City, Kan., and Melvin Sanders, Liberal, Kan., are both entering their third year of play at Oklahoma State. Cheyne Gadson, a senior from Jamaica, N.Y., transferred to OSU last season for his junior year.
Transfers, Jucos Dot Cowboy Roster
Eight newcomers are listed on the Oklahoma State roster, including three transfers that will have to sit out the 2002-03 season. Tony Allen, a junior-college player from Wabash Valley Community College, and Janavor Weatherspoon, a juco transfer from Odessa College, should make an immediate impact. Freshmen Ross DeRogatis, Onye Ibekwe and Julian Richardson could also see playing time. Daniel Bobik and the twins, Joey and Stevie Graham, will have to sit out a year after transferring from BYU and Central Florida. All three, however are allowed to practice with the team.
Williams Ranks Among Elite Shot Blockers
Andre Williams enters his senior season with 129 career blocked shots, which ranks fifth on the all-time school list. Williams is 39 blocks away from moving past Leroy Combs and into fourth place on the list. Byron Houston is the all-time Cowboy shot blocker with 223, just eight ahead of Joe Atkinson.
Non-Conference Record in Gallagher-Iba
Oklahoma State enters the 2002-03 season having won 100 of its last 101 non-conference games held in Gallagher-Iba Arena since Jan. 7, 1987. The only loss during that span was an 83-81 loss to Florida Atlantic on Dec. 1, 1998, when the Cowboys were ranked 11th in the nation. That loss broke a string of 79-consecutive home non-league wins for OSU. Dating back the last 20 years to 1981, Oklahoma State is 129-7 (.949) in those types of games.
Up Next: The Season Opener
Oklahoma State will open the 2002-03 regular season on Friday, Nov. 22, as the Cowboys host the Yale Bulldogs of the Ivy League. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Yale was 21-11 last season, and returns all five starters from a year ago. The Bulldogs tied for the conference title, and went to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament.
