Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
3-0
UTSA
2-1
Cowboys Win Thriller Over UTSA
November 16, 2011 | Cowboy Basketball
Nov. 16, 2011
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Stillwater, Okla. — Cezar Guerrero tied a school single-game record for a freshman with 29 points, and OSU overcame an 11-point deficit in the final 2-1/2 minutes as the Oklahoma State Cowboys defeated UTSA 90-85 in overtime. The win advances OSU to New York City to face Stanford in the championship semifinal of the Season NIT Tip-Off.
Down 71-60 with 2-1/2 minutes remaining in regulation, it appeared that the Cowboys would suffer their first loss of the young season. Jean-Paul Olukemi was fouled and scored both free throws to cut the lead to single digits.
After three-consecutive possessions resulted in turnovers, Reger Dowell hit a three pointer, cutting the lead to six at 71-65. Michael Hale, who had a team-high 26 points for UTSA, hit 1-of-2 from the line. Olukemi was fouled again, and hit both shots from the stripe to cut it to five.
A layup by Igor Nujic with 1:12 left in the game gave the Roadrunners a three-possession lead. Olukemi grabbed the rebound off a Guerrero miss, and was fouled again, connecting on both FTs. A miss by Nujic and a defensive board by Guerrero led to a follow make by Le'Bryan Nash, cutting the UTSA lead to three.
Hale hit both free throws after being fouled by Fred Gulley, putting UTSA ahead 76-71 with 27 seconds remaining. A missed three by Dowell, and a foul by Markel Brown gave Nujic a chance to make it a three-possession game again, this time with 18 seconds remaining. He missed the first, but hit the second, making it 77-71.
A conventional three-point play by Guerrero cut the lead in half. The speedy freshman then stole the in-bounds pass, stepped behind the arc and drained a trey with about eight seconds to go, sending the game into overtime.
It appeared that the game would be a low-scoring contest, with not much happening in the first half and the Cowboys taking a 30-25 lead into the locker room. However, UTSA outscored the Pokes 52-47 in the second half to force overtime.
Guerrero was one of four players on each team that reached double figures. Nash had 18 points and nine rebounds, while Olukemi scored 10 of his 12 points at the line. Dowell chipped in 11 off the bench, while OSU big man Philip Jurick recorded his third-straight double-figure rebounding game with 10 boards.
Oklahoma State (3-0) will face Stanford on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 6 pm CT in the semifinals. The game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City and will be televised by ESPN2.
