Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Basketball Honors Its Tradition
February 19, 2015 | Cowboy Basketball
STILLWATER - This Saturday, members of the 1964-65 Oklahoma State basketball team will congregate on the same court they competed on 50 years ago to celebrate the anniversary of their Big Eight Conference title and NCAA Elite Eight appearance. Although the name on the court and the building surrounding it are different than they were in 1965, the team's landmark season serves as another important chapter in the rich history of Oklahoma State basketball.
Led by legendary head coach Henry Iba, the 1964-65 Cowboys stormed through the Big Eight in their seventh season in the league to win the program's first conference title in a decade and clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament, where the Pokes snagged a victory over Houston to advance to the Elite Eight.
After a 7-4 start to the season in nonconference action that included an overtime victory at Texas and a loss to John Wooden and his eventual national champion UCLA Bruins in Los Angeles, the Cowboys rattled off six-straight conference victories to start off Big Eight play.
Oklahoma State notched a 10-2 record in conference play to edge the preseason 18th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks for the Big Eight title. The Cowboys swept the runner-up Jayhawks in a pair of conference games, including a four-overtime thriller that remains one of two quadruple-overtime games in program history. The quadruple overtime game was one of three overtime matchups the Cowboys were a part of during Big Eight play in 1965. The team opened conference play with a 54-52 overtime win at Iowa State before knocking off Colorado in a triple-overtime contest in Stillwater later that month. The Cowboys' only two Big Eight losses were a 49-42 loss at Missouri and a 57-54 defeat at Colorado.
Oklahoma State was unstoppable at home that season, posting a 10-0 mark within the friendly confines of Gallagher Hall on its way to a 20-7 overall record. The Cowboys were led by a balanced attack, with four members of the team's starting lineup averaging double-digit scoring numbers. Senior Gary Hassmann led the Cowboys in scoring with 12.6 points per game. James King averaged a double-double in his junior season, adding 12.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game and shot .535 percent from the field. Larry Hawk poured in 10.9 points per game, and Gene Johnson contributed 10.7 while also collecting 6.9 boards each contest.
The 1965 Cowboys competed in the Midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament in Manhattan, Kan., and received a bye in the first round. For their first game of the tournament, the Cowboys were matched up with Houston, who was coming off a 99-98 win over Notre Dame in its previous contest.
The Cowboys downed the Cougars, 75-60, behind double-doubles from Johnson and King. Johnson led the Cowboys in scoring and rebounds with 25 points and 13 boards. King added 10 points and 11 rebounds on the stat sheet while also hitting all four of his free throw attempts. Hassmann contributed 18 points and seven boards in the win as well.
In the Elite Eight, the red hot Cowboys, having won seven of their last eight games, were to face a tough Wichita State team fresh off an 86-81 victory over SMU in the second round. Oklahoma State held the Shockers to their lowest point total of the tournament, but were overwhelmed, 54-46, despite only five Shockers participating in the game. Wichita State's Kelly Pete and Vernon Smith hit 15 of their combined 18 attempts from the free-throw line, which proved to be the difference in the game. The Shocker duo took five more free throws than the whole Oklahoma State team.
Hassmann and Johnson led the Cowboys in scoring in the Elite Eight matchup with nine points each. Larry Hawk added seven points, while James King and Freddie Moulder each scored six.
A walk into the auxiliary gym on the south side of Gallagher-Iba Arena is a fantastic illustration of the history of Oklahoma State basketball. Banners from Final Fours, Elite Eights and Sweet Sixteens decorate the walls of the gym to honor teams that have built the legacy of the Oklahoma State basketball program, and the 1965 team is included in the bunch. The 1965 Oklahoma State basketball team is 50 years removed from its Big Eight title and NCAA Tournament run; however, the anniversary is another reminder of the unique basketball tradition at Oklahoma State University.
