Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys host Buffaloes Wednesday night
January 20, 2004 | Cowboy Basketball
Oklahoma State (12-2, 2-1) hosts Colorado (10-4, 2-1) in Big 12 Basketball action
Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2004 • 7:05 p.m.
Gallagher-Iba Arena • Stillwater, Okla.
radio - Cowboy Radio Network • internet - okstate.com • TV - none
OSU hosts Buffaloes
Oklahoma State will host the Colorado Buffaloes on Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 7:05 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys are coming off a narrow 57-56 victory over Kansas State Saturday evening in Manhattan, while Colorado is fresh off an 88-70 win over Iowa State in Boulder on Saturday afternoon. OSU is 12-2 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 Conference action, while the Buffs are 10-4 overall and also 2-1 in league play.
Last time out
John Lucas scored a game-high 20 points, and Tony Allen blocked a shot with seconds remaining as the Cowboys overcame a 16-point deficit and held on to defeat Kansas State, 57-56. OSU trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half at 38-22, and trailed by 11 at halftime, 39-28. The second period belonged to the Cowboy defense, however, as the Pokes held the Wildcats to just 17 points in the second stanza. Oklahoma State trailed by 16 with 13:51 remaining in the game before going on a 9-0 run over the next four minutes, forcing the ‘Cats into four turnovers and four missed shots during that span. OSU went on a 10-2 run at the eight-minute mark, forcing four more turnovers and giving up just two free throws, to cut the KSU lead to one. A jumper by Lucas put the Pokes up by one, and a dunk by Ivan McFarlin gave OSU a three-point lead. Jeremiah Massey made a jumper for the Wildcats to make the score 57-56 OSU, and despite both Allen and Lucas missing the front end of a one-and-one in the waning seconds, Allen blocked a Jarrett Hart attempt to secure the victory.
Lucas named Big 12 Conference Player of the Week
Junior guard John Lucas earned Big 12 Conference Player of the Week honors for his efforts in two wins last week. Against No. 11 Oklahoma, he scored 22 points and dished out four assists. At Kansas State, he scored 20 points and had four assists with one turnover. He shot 51.6 percent from the floor and 6-of-12 from beyond the three-point arc.
About Colorado
Colorado is 10-4 overall this season, and 2-1 in Big 12 Conference action. The Buffaloes are on a four-game winning streak, which includes a road win at Nebraska and an 18-point rout of Iowa State in Boulder. CU is led by junior center David Harrison, who is averaging 16.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest while shooting 61.9 percent from the floor. Michel Morandais is chipping in 15.5 points per game, while Blair Wilson is scoring 12.7 points per contest. Lamar Harris averaging 8.8 rebounds per game. As a team, the Buffs aore outscoring their opponents by an average of nearly eight points per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the floor.
Series history
Oklahoma State leads the all-time series with Colorado, 54-45, including a 34-9 mark in Stillwater. Since Coach Sutton’s return to OSU, the Cowboys are 14-5 against the Buffs, with all five losses coming in Boulder, including last year’s 68-56 CU win. The last time Colorado defeated Oklahoma State in Stillwater was Jan. 12, 1980, when the Buffaloes squeezed out a 58-56 victory. Since that game, OSU has won 19 straight against CU in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Taking advantage of the home court
The Cowboys have been very successful at home so far this season, sporting a perfect 8-0 record. OSU has used its up-tempo offense and stifling defense to be successful. The Pokes are averaging 84 points per game in the friendly confines of Gallagher-Iba Arena this season, and are outscoring their opponents by an average of 26.2 points per game. Oklahoma State is shooting 56.1 percent from the field, including 38.2 percent from long range in the historic building. OSU is outrebounding its opponents by an average of nine boards per contest, and the Cowboys have a 1.33 assist/turnover ratio in GIA. The one glaring statistic that has not improved in home games is free-throw percentage. OSU is shooting 63.8 percent from the charity stripe overall this season, but just 63.7 percent in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Offensive dominance
Oklahoma State’s offense has been impressive this season. The Cowboys have scored at least 80 points in nine games this season, and are currently averaging 79 points per game, the second-best mark in the Big 12 Conference. The Cowboys have outscored their opponents by 30 or more points in six of their 14 games this season, and lead the league with a +19.5 scoring margin. OSU is shooting 52.8 percent as a team, which leads the Big 12 and the nation. The Pokes’ are connecting on 37.0 percent of their shots from beyond the three-point arc, which is third in the league. Oklahoma State has 247 assists on 428 made shots, an average of one assist for every 1.73 shots made. Compare that to last year, when the Cowboys had one assist for every 1.96 shots made.
Defensive pressure
While Oklahoma State’s offense has been quite potent, the defense has also been playing well. The Cowboys are giving up just 59.9 points per game, while allowing 39.2 percent shooting from the floor and 31.7 percent shooting from beyond the three-point arc. The OSU defense has forced 268 turnovers, and scored an average of 21.3 points per game off those miscues. The defense has taken 16 charges as a team, led by Ivan McFarlin’s seven. Jason Miller has taken four charges, while Joey Graham and John Lucas have taken two each.
Minimizing miscues
The Cowboys have made some dramatic improvements in their ball-handling skills this year as opposed to last season. In 2002-03, OSU had a +1.97 turnover margin when the season was complete. This year, the Pokes have a +4.36 turnover margin. Last season, Oklahoma State ranked 11th in the league in assist/turnover ratio at 0.86. This year, OSU is second in the league in the same category, averaging 1.19 assists for every turnover. The Pokes are second in the Big 12 in assists, averaging 17.64 dishouts per game. OSU was 10th in that category last year, averaging just 12.8 assists per contest. The Cowboys have 207 turnovers this season, an average of 14.8 per game, while forcing an average of 19.1 per contest.
Lucas improving in all facets of the game
Junior John Lucas was named the Big 12 Conference’s Player of the Week last week for his efforts in two league wins. He leads the league with his 3.0 assist/turnover ratio, and is second in the Big 12 Conference in assists per game, averaging 5.14 assists per contest. The 5-10 guard has 72 assists and just 24 turnovers in 14 games this season. He dished out a career-high 13 assists vs. SMU, recording his second double-double as a Poke. He also had 10 points against the Ponies. Against Southeastern State, he recorded his first double-double with 11 assists and 10 points. He has had double-figure scoring in 10 games this season, including a season-best 22 vs. Oklahoma. In the last seven games, he has 38 assists and just 10 turnovers. He leads the team in free-throw shooting at 86.2 percent. John made ESPN Sportscenter’s top plays of the week for his midcourt heave against Arkansas just before halftime.
Ivan ranks among school’s best
Foward Ivan McFarlin, who grabbed double-figure rebounds in back-to-back games against Southeastern State and Arkansas, ranks among the best rebounders of all-time in OSU history. He currently has 596 caroms in his three-year career, ranking 12th all-time. He needs just five boards to move into 11th place on the school career list and become the 12th player in school history to grab 600 career rebounds.
I-Mac moving up other career lists
With 13 points vs. SMU, McFarlin became the 40th player in school history to record 800 points in an OSU career. He now has 855 points in his career, ranking 34th on the all-time list. Ivan recorded his fourth double-double of the season and the 18th of his career with 13 points and 10 rebounds vs. the Mustangs. He has 93 career blocked shots, and sits in sole possession of sixth place all-time in school history. Ivan recorded a career-best six blocks against Southeastern State. Leroy Combs sits in fifth place with 167 career blocked shots. Ivan needs 74 more deflections before catching the top five.
Bobik coming up big time
Junior transfer Daniel Bobik has been a pleasant surprise this season. The 6-4 guard from Newbury Park, Calif., was named the MVP of the Touchtone Energy All-College Classic. He is averaging 8.4 points per game this season, and is shooting 54.5 percent from the field. His long-range accuracy is just as impressive. He has made 22-of-47 shots from beyond the arc this season, good for 46.8 percent. That includes a 5-of-7 effort against Southeastern State and a 4-of-5 outing against SMU. He is fifth in the Big 12 Conference in three-point field-goal percentage, and 12th in three-point field goals made. Daniel has 46 assists in 14 games this season, surpassing his single-season best (34) while at BYU. In two seasons with the Cougars, Bobik averaged 5.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.
Allen one of league’s best
Senior guard Tony Allen is one of the best players in the Big 12 Conference. The 6-4 Chicago, Ill., native currently ranks seventh in the league in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. He’s also averaging 4.7 rebounds per contest and 3.14 assists per game. Tony has made more shots than anybody else on the team at 84, and is shooting 52.5 percent from the field. He scored a season-high 24 points against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and also tied career bests in assists with seven and steals with five in that game. Tony scored 20 or more points for the third time this season with 20 vs. the Sooners, a game in which he connected on 9-of-13 shots from the floor.
Coming up
Oklahoma State travels to Austin, Texas, this weekend to face the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 3 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN Regional. The Pokes will be off for the midweek game before hosting the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 8 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN Regional.
On television
Saturday’s game against Texas will be televised by ESPN Regional as part of the Big 12 Conference’s television package. Fred White will handle the play-by-play duties, while Paul Splittorff will provide color commentary. Next Saturday’s game against Texas Tech will feature Dave Armstrong handling the play-by-play duties and Matt Doherty providing expert analysis.
