Oklahoma State University Athletics
Game Notes - Cowboys Host North Texas
December 01, 2014 | Cowboy Basketball
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Up next for Oklahoma State Cowboy Basketball
NORTH TEXAS
Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014 ► 7 p.m. ► Gallagher-Iba Arena
Tickets:okstate.com/tickets or toll-free 877-ALL-4-OSU
TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma (Mike Wolfe and Bryndon Manzer)
In Stillwater - Suddenlink 37/237, DirecTV 679, DISH 437, U-verse 751
In OKC - Cox 37/722, DirecTV 679, Dish 416, U-verse 754/1754
In Tulsa - Cox 27/722, Cox 676, Dish 416, U-verse 751
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker & John Holcomb)
Internet Radio: http://okla.st/osutunein
Live Stats: okstate.com
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THE BASICS
The Oklahoma State men's basketball team (6-0 overall) hosts North Texas (4-2 overall) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
TICKET INFO
Fans can purchase tickets through the Oklahoma State ticket office either online at okstate.com/tickets, by phone at 877-ALL-4-OSU (877-255-4678) or at the box office. A variety of season ticket packages are available. Individual game tickets are available for as little as $10.
ON THE AIR
The game will be televised by Fox Sports Oklahoma and Fox College Sports Central with Mike Wolfe and Bryndon Manzer calling the action. The game will be broadcast on the radio by the Cowboy Radio Network with Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb on the call.
OKLAHOMA STATE FROM A DISTANCE
Fresh off winning the title at the MGM Grand Main Event tournament in Las Vegas last week, Oklahoma State is establishing itself as a very strong defensive team. The Cowboys are among the nation's elite with 12.2 steals per game and rank in the top 30 nationally in field goal percentage defense (.337 pct.), scoring defense (54.6 ppg) and scoring margin (+24.6 ppg).
Standout performers for the Cowboys include forward Le'Bryan Nash (18.3 ppg/6.7 rpg) and guard Phil Forte (17.2 ppg, 3.7 spg). Nash ranks second nationally with 44 free throws made and Forte leads the nation with 22 steals.
In addition to Forte being one of the best in the country in steals, other notable defensive performers for OSU include seven-foot center Anthony Allen (10 blocked shots), forward Michael Cobbins (five blocked shots in three games played) and point guard Anthony Hickey (10 steals).
NORTH TEXAS FROM A DISTANCE
North Texas is 4-2 to start the year, but has lost two of its last three, including a 89-73 setback at Arkansas last Friday. The Mean Green has been solid defensively to this point, limiting opponents to 36.3 percent shooting from the field, but has been turnover prone - losing the ball an average of 16.5 times per game.
Much of North Texas's offensive attack revolves around Jordan Williams, who averages a team-best 13.8 points and 3.3 assists per game. He has taken 73 shots through six games this year, a mark that is 35 more than anyone else on the team.
AN OKLAHOMA STATE WIN WOULD...
► Improve the Cowboys to 7-0 for the second straight season and for just the fifth time since the turn of the century (2001-02, 2004-05 and 2006-07 were the other occurrences) All but one of those previous 7-0 starts led to NCAA Tournament appearances.
► Give the Cowboys 7-0 starts in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 1936-37 and 1937-38 campaigns.
► Be its eighth straight in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
► Be its 12th straight win in a non-conference home game, dating back to 2012.
► Improve the Cowboys to 47-2 in non-conference home games under Travis Ford.
► Improve the Cowboys to 191-4 in non-conference home games, dating back to 1987. During that span, the Pokes won 80 straight over non-conference opponents in Gallagher-Iba Arena from 1987-98, which is the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history.
► Improve the Cowboys to 404-49 all-time in non-conference games played in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
► Improve the Cowboys to 15-1 all-time against North Texas.
► Improve the Cowboys to 9-0 over North Texas in games played in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
► Improve the Cowboys to 48-8 against teams currently playing in Conference USA.
► Improve the Cowboys to 8-0 against Conference USA opponents during Travis Ford's tenure as OSU head coach.
NOTABLE STREAKS ENTERING THE NORTH TEXAS GAME
► Oklahoma State has won six straight games.
► Oklahoma State has won seven straight home games.
► Oklahoma State has won eight straight games over teams currently playing in Conference USA, dating back to a loss at North Texas in 2007.
► Oklahoma State has made at least one three-pointer in 458 consecutive games, dating back to Jan. 13, 2001.
► Le'Bryan Nash has started in 61 straight games - the 19th-longest streak in school history.
► Phil Forte has scored in double figures in 11 straight games and 15 of his last 16, dating back to last season
► Phil Forte has made at least one three-pointer in 11 straight games and 18 of his last 19 games, dating back to last season
► Le'Bryan Nash has scored in double figures in six straight games (every game this season)
THE SERIES
Oklahoma State holds a 14-1 all-time series advantage over North Texas, which includes an 8-0 mark in Stillwater. The Cowboys are 2-0 over UNT under Travis Ford.
CONNECTIONS
► North Texas associate head coach Rob Evans coached under Eddie Sutton at Oklahoma State in 1991 and 1992.
► Oklahoma State guard Jeff Newberry was a teammate of North Texas guard Maurice Aniefiok at Mississippi in 2011-12.
LAST TIME OUT - OKLAHOMA STATE WINS MGM GRAND MAIN EVENT
Oklahoma State won the MGM Grand Main Event title last week by claiming a 66-53 win over Oregon State and then a 73-58 win over Tulsa in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Suffocating defense by the Cowboys was the common thread in the two victories, as OSU held the Beavers to .333 pct. from the field and forced Oregon State to commit 17 turnovers, then came back to limit the Golden Hurricane to .348 pct. shooting from the field and force 13 Tulsa turnovers.
DEFENSIVE MINDED
Six games into the season, Oklahoma State is establishing itself as a formidable defensive team. The Cowboys rank in the top 50 nationally in most of the prominent defensive statistical categories and are a top-10 team nationally in steals per game and field goal percentage defense.
THE BIG 12'S TOP SCORING DUO
Averaging 35.5 points per game, Oklahoma State's Le'Bryan Nash and Phil Forte form the highest-scoring duo in the Big 12. Second on the list is Iowa State's Georges Niang and Bryce Dejean-Jones at 34.3 points per contest.
