Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
Kansas State
Cowboys Clamp Down On Kansas State
February 05, 2003 | Cowboy Basketball
Feb 5, 2003
By OWEN CANFIELD
AP Sports Writer
STILLWATER, Okla. - Other than the final score, Oklahoma State didn't give Eddie Sutton a whole lot to savor in his 1,000th game as a Division I coach.
The 11th-ranked Cowboys nearly squandered a 15-point first-half lead, needing a brief run in the second half to finally take control against Kansas State in a 63-55 victory Wednesday night.
Tony Allen scored 17 points and Andre Williams had seven of his team's 12 blocks in a milestone game that Sutton said was no big deal.
"It just means I've coached a long time," he said.
The Cowboys (18-2, 7-1 Big 12) got back on track after a loss at Texas on Saturday that ended their 15-game winning streak.
Sutton, in his 33rd season and 13th at Oklahoma State, became the 17th Division I coach to reach 1,000 games. His record is 720-280, including 290-116 with the Cowboys.
"We had just been coming off a loss and we wanted to get on a roll," Williams said. "We wanted to come out tonight and re-establish ourselves."
It looked early on as though they would have no trouble doing that. They took a 14-2 lead in the first 3:40, and a 7-0 run a few minutes later made it 21-6 midway through the half. By that time, Kansas State (11-9, 2-5) had eight turnovers.
But the Cowboys made only two field goals the rest of the half, missing 10 shots - four on one possession - and turning it over five times.
"You can't play much better than we were playing there, and then we just shut it down," Sutton said.
Kansas State chipped away behind scoring from Matt Siebrandt, who finished with 17 points, and Marcus Hayden.
The Wildcats trailed 27-17 before scoring the final six points of the half, four of them on baskets by Tim Ellis. Then they got as close as two in the second half, 30-28, on a 3-pointer by Schyler Thomas with 16:02 remaining.
"I really felt like once we got things going we could play the game, provided we don't turn it over," Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge said.
Sutton called a timeout after the basket by Thomas.
"I just told 'em, 'Start playing,"' Sutton said. "I said 'You guys, you just make too many dumb plays."'
The Cowboys promptly forced a turnover that Allen turned into a fast-break layup. Then Melvin Sanders, who had 14 points, scored on a layup started by one of Williams' blocks.
The Cowboys were finally able to shake Kansas State with a 7-0 run midway through the second half. The Wildcats only trailed 38-34 at the 10:17 mark before Oklahoma State used its defense take over.
After Victor Williams made a short fallaway jumper for a 40-34 lead, Sanders scored on a dunk off a turnover. Ivan McFarlin added a free throw and Allen had a dunk on another turnover-driven fast break to make it 45-34 with 7:54 remaining.
Kansas State got no closer than eight points after that.
"We were right there with them," Siebrandt said. "Every time, they had an answer and that's what you have to do at home. We've got to try again to get a road win."
The Wildcats wound up with 19 turnovers. They lost for the fifth time in six games and dropped to 0-4 on the road in conference play.
