Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys Host Razorbacks In Final Game Of 2002
December 29, 2002 | Cowboy Basketball
Dec. 29, 2002
Oklahoma State Cowboys
(8-1 overall) host the
Arkansas Razorbacks (5-4)
in Gallagher-Iba Arena
Monday, Dec. 30, 2002 *?7 p.m. (CST)
Gallagher-Iba Arena [13,611] * Stillwater, Okla.
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Oklahoma State Cowboys
Probable Starters (based on last game)
Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG F 23 Ivan McFarlin 6-8 237 Jr. 12.0 8.3 F 40 Andre Williams 6-8 225 Sr. 5.1 6.3 G 5 Victor Williams 5-10 187 Sr. 10.9 3.8 ^ G 24 Tony Allen 6-4 205 Jr. 15.1 5.1 G 34 Melvin Sanders 6-5 210 Sr. 14.3 3.8
Off the Bench
Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG C 4 Frans Steyn 7-2 306 So. 0.7 1.5 G 25 Janavor Weatherspoon 6-1 165 Jr. 4.8 1.7 G 30 Cheyne Gadson 6-3 190 Sr. 5.1 3.3 ^ F 33 Jason Miller 6-9 245 Jr. 4.1 3.2
Arkansas Razorbacks
Probable Starters (based on last game)
Name Ht. Wt. Yr. PPG RPG F 20 Rashard Sullivan 6-8 221 Fr. 3.2 3.4 F 33 Dionisio Gomez 6-8 218 Sr. 10.1 7.8 G 11 Eric Ferguson 6-1 196 Fr. 12.7 4.1 ^ G 12 Kendrick Davis 6-3 171 Fr. 14.1 3.0 G 24 Jonathon Modica 6-4 198 Fr. 12.1 4.8^ denotes assists per game
Quickly
Oklahoma State returns home following a short holiday break to host the Arkansas Razorbacks of the Southeastern Conference on Monday, Dec. 30. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU is 8-1 and coming off a 68-58 win at Wichita State on Dec. 21. Arkansas is 5-4 and coming off a 75-51 win over Centenary Saturday night in Fayetteville. This will be the 49th meeting between the two schools on the hardwood, but the first since 1968 between these two schools in Stillwater.
On Television
The Oklahoma State-Arkansas game will be televised live within the state borders of Oklahoma. The game will be televised by the Cowboy Sports Network. John Holcomb, sports director at KOTV Channel 6 in Tulsa, will handle the play-by-play duties, while Doug Gottlieb, former Cowboy basketball player and current talk-show host on the Sports Animal in Oklahoma City, will provide expert analysis. Local listings are located on page 6 of this release.
Last Time Out For OSU
Tony Allen scored 18 point, Melvin Sanders added 17 and Oklahoma State hit clutch free throws in the final minute to beat Wichita State 68-58 on Saturday. Wichita State (4-4) closed to within 62-58 with 1:13 left after Randy Burns, who led the Shockers with 22 points, hit two free throws. But, Oklahoma State shut down the Shockers the rest of the way and Victor Williams made four free throws and Cheyne Gadson made two in the closing minute. Jamar Howard scored 15 points for Wichita State and had a game-high 11 rebounds before fouling out with 1:38 left. Oklahoma State got 10 from Williams. The Cowboys were outrebounded 43-29, but offset that by making 20-of-28 free throws and committing only 11 turnovers to Wichita State's 23.
Up Next: BYU in the All-College Classic
Oklahoma State will travel to Oklahoma City on Saturday, Jan. 4, for a matchup with the BYU Cougars (9-2) in the All-College Classic. Tipoff inside the Ford Center is set for 5:30 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN2. OSU is 2-3 all-time vs. the Cougars.
Tickets Available
There are a limited number of tickets available for Oklahoma State's game next week vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. For more information, contact the OSU Athletics Ticket Office at 1-877-ALL-4-OSU.
Non-Conference Record in Gallagher-Iba
Oklahoma State has won 105 of its last 106 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 to 1981, Oklahoma State is 134-7 (.950) in those types of games. The Cowboys have not allowed more than 66 points in their last 22 home non-conference contests.
OSU vs. Non-Conference Opponents
Oklahoma State's Cowboys have enjoyed considerable success at home vs. non-conference opponents. However, OSU has also been successful overall vs. non-league foes. Since the 1997-98 season, Oklahoma State has a 60-8 (88.2 percent) record in regular-season non-Big 12 contests. That includes a 10-0 record in 1997-98, a 9-3 mark in 1998-99, an 11-1 record in 1999-2000, a 9-2 mark in 2000-01 and a 13-1 record last year.
About Arkansas
Arkansas is 5-4 this season and currently riding a four-game winning streak. The Razorbacks are in their first year under Head Coach Stan Heath, who took over the program from Kent State a year ago. U of A is a mixture of newcomers and veterans, as five of the Hogs' top 10 scorers are freshmen and three are seniors. Arkansas is led by freshman Kendrick Davis, who is averaging 14.1 points per game. Freshman Eric Ferguson is averaging 12.7 points and 4.1 assists per contest, having started all nine games. Freshman Jonathon Modica is third on the squad, averaging 12.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Senior Dionisio Gomez, who had 11 points vs. OSU last year, is coming in averaging 10.1 points per game. All five Arkansas wins came in the friendly confines of Bud Walton Arena.
Last Time Out for Arkansas
Arkansas had five players score in double figures, including a team-high 15 by Jonathon Modica, as the Razorbacks defeated Centenary, 75-51, Saturday night in Fayetteville. The Hogs shot 58.2 percent from the floor, including 24-of-39 (61.5 percent) from the starters. Alonzo Lane had 13 points off the bench for U of A, while freshmen Eric Ferguson and Kendrick Davis added 13 and 11, respectively. The Razorback defense limited Centenary (5-6) to just 27 percent shooting from the floor, including 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) from beyond the three-point arc. Dionisio Gomez had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds for Arkansas.
Series With Arkansas
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Arkansas, 34-14, including an 11-4 mark in games played in Stillwater. The series was consistent between 1944 and 1971, when it was stopped for nearly 20 years. The matchup renewed in 2000 when OSu defeated Arkansas, 74-73, in Tulsa. Last year, the Cowboys won again, this time in Little Rock, 85-76. Next year, the two squads will play in Fayetteville. This game will be the first between the two schools in Gallagher-Iba Arena since 1968.
Last Time Between OSU and Arkansas
Two free throws by Victor Williams gave Oklahoma State its first lead with 2:19 left, and he scored six points in the final minute as the No. 6 Cowboys rallied from a 22-point deficit to beat Arkansas 85-76 last season in Little Rock's ALLTEL Arena. Williams picked up his fourth foul early in the second half, but returned with 12:15 to play and Arkansas leading 59-53. An 82 percent free-throw shooter, Williams made his last 10 free throws, including two for a 75-74 lead after Arkansas' Carl Baker drove the baseline, but missed from in close. Fredrik Jonzen's 3-pointer made it 78-74 for the Cowboys and Williams' four straight free throws widened the lead 83-76. Williams, who had four turnovers and one point in the first half, finished with 17 points. Maurice Baker also had 16 points in the second half and scored a team-high 21. Arkansas led 32-10 with 8:45 to play in the first half but scored only one basket during the final 4 minutes. The Cowboys closed within seven at the half on a 3-pointer and two free throws by Melvin Sanders. Oklahoma State scored nine straight points, closing to 47-45 three minutes into the second half.
Last Time Inside Gallagher-Iba Arena
Joe Smith had 27 points and eight rebounds off the bench, leading Oklahoma State to a 73-68 win over Arkansas in the last game played between the two teams in Gallagher-Iba Arena (Gallagher Hall at the time) on Dec. 3, 1968. The difference was at the free-throw line, where OSU made 27-of-33 for 82 percent, compared to just 14-of-20 (70 percent) for the Razorbacks.
Stifling Defense
Eddie Sutton has always preached solid defense, and while OSU's offense has struggled at times this season, the defense has been outstanding. Through nine games, OSU is allowing just 59.8 points per game (third-best in the Big 12) and has not given up more than 69 points in a contest. Over the last six games, the Cowboys are only allowing 57.3 points per game. On the defensive glass, OSU is outrebounding its opponents by an average of 10.6 boards per game. OSU is also averaging 9.8 steals and 6.9 blocks per contest.
Allen Living up to Expectations
Junior transfer Tony Allen has been playing extremelly well for Oklahoma State this season, living up to the expectations placed upon him when he transfered to OSU from Wabash Valley Community College. Through nine games this season, Allen has scored in double figures in eight of them, including a season-high 23 points vs. the College of Charleston. Tony leads the team in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game. He's shooting 51.6 percent from the floor, including 50 percent from three-point range, and 76.9 percent from the free-throw line. He is averaging 5.1 rebounds per contest, has 19 assists, 16 steals and seven blocked shots.
McFarlin a Warrior
Ivan McFarlin is the prototypical Coach Sutton player, a "warrior". I-Mac is the toughest player on the team, and certainly one of the hardest workers in the league. He scored a career-high 24 points vs. UMKC and, combined with 14 rebounds, recorded his third double-double this season and the eighth of his career. Ivan leads the conference with a 60.6 shooting percentage from the floor. He is averaging 12 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. McFarlin has also improved his free-throw shooting, up above the 70 percent mark this year.
Miscellaneous Notes
Oklahoma State had seven players score in double figures vs. Alaska-Anchorage, the first time for that to happen in the Eddie Sutton era at OSU ... senior guard/forward Melvin Sanders is the only player to have double-digit scoring in every game this season ... senior forward Andre Williams has had at least one blocked shot in every game this season ... six Cowboys are shooting better than 70 percent from the free-throw line, despite shooting 69.2 percent as a team ... Oklahoma State has won 11-straight home games, dating back to last season ... the Cowboys have shot better from the charity stripe on the road (76.9 percent) than at home (60.0 percent) ... Oklahoma State has 34 dunks this season, led by Melvin Sanders' nine ... OSU has taken eight charges in nine games, with Melvin Sanders, Tony Allen, Andre Williams and Ivan McFarlin taking two each.
Cowboys Host Block Party
As a team, Oklahoma State blocked 18 shots during the three-game Great Alaska Shootout tournament, an average of six per contest. Senior forward Andre Williams led the party with eight blocked shots, while Ivan McFarlin had five in the three games. Tony Allen had three, while Melvin Sanders and Jason Miller each had one. OSU blocked 13 shots vs. Hartford, the third-most deflections in a game in school history, and matched that number vs. Wichita State. For the season, the Cowboys have blocked 62 shots in nine games, an average of 6.9 per contest.
Williams Ranks Among Elite Shot Blockers
Forward Andre Williams leads the team with 30 blocked shots so far this season, and is just nine away from moving past Leroy Combs and into fourth place on the all-time OSU career blocked shots list. Andre had five blocks in the season opener vs. Yale, and had three vs. Alaska-Anchorage. He added three more vs. the College of Charleston, and had two vs. Michigan State. His four vs. Hartford led a team total of 13. Most recently, he had three vs. Northwestern State, and one each vs. Fresno State and UMKC. He had a career high with eight blocks vs. Wichita State, and extended his streak of games with at least one blocked shot to nine. Williams is currently averaging 3.3 blocks per game this season, and is second in the league behind Colorado's David Harrison (five blocks per game).
Andre Grabs His 500th Rebound
With four rebounds vs. the College of Charleston in the Great Alaska Shootout, senior Andre Williams achieved a major milestone by reaching 500 career rebounds. He joined an elite group of just 18 Cowboys that have achieved that milestone. He currently has 538 caroms, and ranks 15th all-time in the OSU record books. He needs 25 boards to move past Lafayette Threatt and into 14th place.
Vic Reaches 800
With 10 points vs. Wichita State, senior Victor Williams now has 862 points in his OSU career. That scoring total ranks 32nd on the all-time OSU career scoring list. He needs 27 points to surpass James King's 888. Victor has 1,107 points in his career at the Division I level, including 245 his freshman season at Illinois State.
Williams Ranks in Top 15
Victor Williams has 270 assists in his two-plus year career at Oklahoma State. That ranks him 13th among all-time OSU career assist leaders. With five assists vs. Yale in the season opener, Williams surpassed Randy Rutherford, who had 239 dishes from 1993-95. Vic is 22 assists away from moving past current OSU Associate Head Coach Sean Sutton, who had 291 assists in his two-year career with Oklahoma State. Vic has 373 career assists, including a game-high nine vs. Texas A&M on Feb. 21, 2001, and a season-high 126 last season.
Sanders Has String of Starts
Cowboy senior Melvin Sanders has started every game of his Cowboy career, and has moved into fifth-place on the consecutive starts list. Sanders needs 17 more starts to move past Bryant Reeves, who started 87 consecutive contests from 1993-95.
Coach Sutton at Arkansas
Arkansas enjoyed considerable success while Coach Sutton was with the Razorbacks. In his 11 years with the program, Sutton compiled an overall record of 260-75, including five Southeastern Conference titles. In 1973-74 (the year prior to Sutton's arrival), the Razorbacks were 10-16. Four years later, Coach Sutton earned national Coach of the Year honors, leading the Razorbacks to the Final Four. Ten former Sutton players at Arkansas went on to play in the NBA, and the Hogs finished five seasons ranked in the Coaches' Top 10.
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