Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys host Demons in season opener
November 18, 2004 | Cowboy Basketball
Oklahoma State (0-0)
hosts Northwestern State (0-0)
Friday, Nov. 19, 2004 • 7 p.m.
Gallagher-Iba Arena [13,611] • Stillwater, Okla.
Cowboys open regular season with Northwestern State
Oklahoma State opens the 2004-05 regular season this Friday as the Cowboys host the Northwestern State Demons in a 7 p.m. battle on Nov. 19. OSU won both of its exhibition contests by an average of 35.5 points per game. NSU won its only exhibition game of the season, a 66-56 victory over Henderson State. The Cowboys and Demons have met five times previously on the hardwood, with OSU winning all five.
Please note time change
There has been a game-time change on the schedule. Next week’s game against Arkansas-Little Rock has been moved from 7 to 6 p.m., and will be played as part of a doubleheader with the women hosting New Mexico at approximately 8:15 p.m.
Last game
Joey Graham scored a game-high 18 points, while John Lucas and JamesOn Curry each added 15 and the Cowboys defeated Global Sports, 80-63, in exhibition action. OSU took a 21 point lead in the first half, and extended that lead to 28 in the second period. However, Global Sports went on a 17-6 run over the final 4:20 for the final score. Lucas narrowly missed recording a double-double with nine assists and just two turnovers. Ivan McFarlin had eight points and eight rebounds, while Daniel Bobik and Terrence Crawford each scored eight as well. As a team, the Cowboys shot 50.8 percent from the floor, but once again struggled from the free-throw line, connecting on just 12-of-19 from the charity stripe. Global Sports was held to just 39 percent shooting from the field, and forced into 16 turnovers.
Cowboys shoot well in exhibitions
As a team, Oklahoma State shot very well in its first two exhibitions. The Cowboys were 73-of-129 from the floor, good for 56.6 percent. Obviously, the lesser competition of the exhibition opponents played a role, but several Pokes have really improved their shooting stroke. Nine of the 11 regulars shot 50 percent or better for OSU in the two preseason games combined. Stephen Graham led all shooters with a 77.8 percent mark from the floor. Marcus Dove, Ivan McFarlin and JamesOn Curry all shot 66.7 percent, while Daniel Bobik shot 55.6 percent from the field. Joey Graham and John Lucas each shot identical 54.2 percent from the floor, connecting on 13-of-24. David Monds and Aaron Pettway each made 2-of-4 baskets from the floor.
And from long range, too
The Cowboys shot well from beyond the three-point arc as well in the two exhibition contests. As a team, OSU was 18-of-35 from downtown, or 51.4 percent. JamesOn Curry had the best mark percentage-wise at 66.7 percent (6-of-9), while Daniel Bobik was 4-of-7 (57.1 percent) and John Lucas was 7-of-14 (50 percent).
McFarlin ranks among nation’s best
Ivan McFarlin, who gained a year of eligibility by graduating in 3-1/2 years, ranks among the nation’s best. With Ivan in the starting lineup, Oklahoma State has won 75 games in his three years in a Cowboy uniform. That win total ranks fourth among active players nationally. Kansas’ Aaron Miles sits atop that list with 86 wins, while Stetson Hairston of Southern Illinois and Syracuse’s Craig Forth are tied for second with 76 victories.
Passing the rock
Cowboy senior John Lucas continues to handle the ball extremely well in games. He averaged 32 minutes in each of the Cowboys’ two exhibition contests, and had 17 assists to just four turnovers. That’s an average of 8.5 assists and just two turnovers per game. He had a 4.3 assists/turnover ratio. With just four miscues in 64 minutes of playing time, that averages out to only one turnover for every 16 minutes of playing time on the court.
Cowboy guards hitting the glass
Oklahoma State’s guards have been going after the rebounds in the two exhibition games. The Cowboy perimeter players have grabbed nearly 35 percent of the total rebounds, while the Poke post players have gotten nearly 58 percent of the boards. The other seven percent have been team rebounds. Ivan McFarlin leads the team in rebounds with 16 in two contests, while guard John Lucas and wing Marcus Dove lead the perimeter players with eight boards each. OSU outrebounded its two preseason opponents by an average of 16.5 boards per game.
Quality minutes
While all 11 scholarship players earned playing time in both exhibition games, nine saw extended playing time. Five players averaged at least 20 minutes per game, while four others garnered an average of at least 10 minutes on the court. Point guard John Lucas saw the most PT, averaging 32 minutes per contest, while freshman JamesOn Curry saw the most minutes off the bench, averaging 21 per game.
