Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboys face Huskers in league action
February 21, 2005 | Cowboy Basketball
Oklahoma State (20-3, 10-2)
at Nebraska (11-12, 4-8)
Tuesday, February 22, 2005 • 7:08 p.m.
Bob Devaney Sports Center [13,595] • Lincoln, Neb.
Cowboys face Huskers in Lincoln
Oklahoma State travels to Lincoln, Neb., this week for a Tuesday night game with the Nebraska Huskers. Tipoff is set for 7:08 p.m., and the game will be televised in Oklahoma by the Cowboy Sports Network. OSU is 20-3 overall and 10-2 in Big 12 Conference action, tied for first in the league. The Cowboys are coming off an 85-56 win over Texas Tech Saturday afternoon in Stillwater. Nebraska is 10-12 overall and 4-8 in league play, coming off a 56-53 loss to Missouri in the Devaney Sports Center Saturday night. The Huskers lead the all-time series with Oklahoma State, 59-49, including a 33-12 mark in Lincoln. The Pokes are on a three-game winning streak against NU, including an 87-83 win in overtime last year in Stillwater, and picking up a 77-70 victory the last time in Lincoln.
OSU-Nebraska on television
Oklahoma State’s game at Nebraska will be televised in the state of Oklahoma as part of the Cowboy Sports Network package. It can also be seen nationally as part of ESPN’s Full Court package. John Holcomb, the sports director at KOTV-CBS in Tulsa, will handle the play-by-play duties, while Bryndon Manzer, former Cowboy Basketball player, will provide expert analysis. This game will mark CSN’s fifth of six broadcasts of Cowboy games, and OSU’s 20th televised game of the regular season. Cowboy Sports Network will also air the Texas A&M game in Stillwater on March 2. Oklahoma State is 4-0 this season in games televised by CSN. The Cowboy Sports Network is a subsidiary of HOST Communications, Inc., of Lexington, Ky.
Last game
Oklahoma State’s defense held the league’s best scoring team to just 56 points on 35 percent shooting as the Cowboys defeated Texas Tech, 85-56, in the most lopsided game of the series. The previous biggest margin of victory was 26 by OSU in 1999 when the Cowboys won, 93-67. John Lucas scored 25 points and dished out six assists while Ivan McFarlin picked up another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. JamesOn Curry scored 15 for the Pokes on 6-of-10 shooting. OSU’s defense was relentless, holding the Big 12’s leading scorer, Ronald Ross, to just 10 points, 11 below his average. The Cowboys shot 52.4 percent and had just 11 turnovers in the game. OSU was 10-of-23 from beyond the three-point arc, and held Tech to just 3-of-14 from the same range. Oklahoma State also outrebounded Texas Tech, 40-32. The Pokes outscored the Red Raiders, 50-30, in the second half, when the Cowboys shot 56.3 percent and was 7-of-14 from beyond the arc.
About Nebraska
Nebraska is 11-12 overall this season and 4-8 in Big 12 Conference action after a 56-53 loss to Missouri Saturday afternoon in Lincoln. The Huskers have just one player averaging in double figures, freshman Joe McCray, who is scoring 15 points per game. NU has wins over Kansas State and Texas A&M at home, and road victories at Colorado and at Baylor. As a team, the Huskers are averaging 68 points per game, which drops to below 67 points per game in league play. They’re also allowing more than 70 points per game in Big 12 games. Jason Dourisseau, who has missed three league contests, is nearly in double figures for conference games only, averaging 9.7 per game. Nebraska is averaging 9,231 fans per home game in league action.
Series vs. the Huskers
Nebraska leads the all-time series with Oklahoma State, 59-49, although the Cowboys have won the last three meetings and five of the last six. Since 1988, OSU is 20-8 against the Huskers. Nebraska has won 33 of 45 games vs. OSU in Lincoln. The Pokes are 2-2 in the Devaney Sports Center since the Big 12 formed in 1996-97, and won the last meeting in Lincoln, 77-70. OSU pulled off a squeaker last year, defeating Nebraska, 87-83, in overtime in Gallagher-Iba Arena. It was the seventh overtime meeting in the series, with NU holding a 5-2 edge in those types of games.
Last time vs. the Huskers
Joey Graham scored 30 of his career-high 36 points after halftime and seventh-ranked Oklahoma State made seven of eight free throws in overtime to defeat the Huskers, 87-83, in Stillwater last season. Graham was 12-of-19 from the floor, 3-of-3 from long range and 9-of-11 from the charity stripe. Ivan McFarlin had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while John Lucas contributed 16 points, seven assists and only one turnover. The Huskers fell despite shooting 53.6 percent from the floor, including an 8-of-10 performance by Andrew Drevo that led to his team-high 21 points.
Down the road
OSU will play its final road game on Sunday, Feb. 27, as the Pokes travel to Lawrence, Kan., to take on the Kansas Jayhawks (20-2, 10-1). Tipoff for the nationally televised game will be 3 p.m. on CBS. OSU will host Texas A&M on Wed., March 2 (please note tipoff time change to 6 p.m.), in a game that will be televised by both Cowboy Sports Network (within state of Oklahoma) and ESPN2 (outside state of Oklahoma).
