Oklahoma State University Athletics
Sutton coaches 1,000th game; Cowboys defeat Wildcats, 63-55
April 17, 2003 | Cowboy Basketball
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
