Defensive Showdown Expected Between OSU, Austin Peay Wednesday

Wednesday, November 29

Stillwater, Okla.

7 p.m.

Oklahoma State University

Austin Peay

Defensive Showdown Expected Between OSU, Austin Peay Wednesday

November 27, 2017 | Cowboy Basketball

Game Center
Opponent: Austin Peay Governors (3-3, 0-0 OVC)
Date / Tipoff: Nov. 29, 2017 / 7 p.m. Central
Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena (Stillwater, Okla.)
Series: OSU leads 1-0 (81-58 on Nov. 17, 2001 in GIA)
Tickets: Start at $10 at okstate.com/tickets
TV: Fox Sports Oklahoma-Plus (Mike Wolfe, Bryndon Manzer, Allison Gappa)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb)
Satellite Radio: None
Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com

Oklahoma State Game Notes

The Basics
Oklahoma State is coming off a historic performance against Houston Baptist on Sunday that included 31-of-33 shooting from the free throw stripe and 26 assists. In four home games this year OSU has trailed for a total of just 1:39. The Cowboys won't have long to revel as Austin Peay comes to Gallagher-Iba Arena for a Wednesday night showdown. The Governors feature one of the nation's toughest high-pressure defenses, and rank ninth nationally in turnovers forced and 13th in steals per game.

On the Air
The matchup between the Cowboys and Governors will air on Fox Sports Oklahoma-Plus at 7 p.m. Central. Mike Wolfe, Bryndon Manzer and Allison Gappa will handle the on-air duties. FoxSportsGo will carry the webcast. As always, Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb will have the Cowboy Radio Network call.

Cowboy Sharp Shooters
The Cowboys had a free-throw shooting performance for the ages against Houston Baptist. OSU connected on 31-of-33 (.939) from the line, which is the 24th best outing in NCAA history and the second best performance ever by an OSU team (min. 30 makes). Only once in school history has OSU made more free throws and at a higher clip (33-of-35 at Texas Tech, Jan. 31, 2012). OSU also made its first 24 from the stripe, which set a new Big 12 record for consecutive makes in one game (Previous record: 23 by Missouri against K-State on Feb. 1, 1997). The Cowboys now rank 13th nationally and tops in the Big 12 with a season free throw mark of 80.5 percent.

Sharing Is Caring
Oklahoma State is among the nation's best when it comes to dishing out assists, but Sunday's performance took things to another level. OSU assisted on 26 of their 30 field goals (0.867 A/FG), which is tied for the fourth best assist/field goal ratio in school history. According to KenPom.com, OSU ranks 18th nationally in A/FG ratio at 0.647 on the season. The Cowboys are also 19th nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.52, and 29th with 18.0 assists per game. Brandon Averette ranks third in the Big 12 and 15th in the NCAA with a 5.0 A/TO ratio. Both Averette (8th, 4.2 apg) and Kendall Smith (10th, 4.0 apg) rank in the top 10 of the Big 12 in assists per game.

High-Pressure Defense
Oklahoma State's defensive pressure looks to speed up opponents and create turnovers and bad shots, and through six games it seems to be working. OSU has forced at least 12 turnovers in each game, including a season-high 19 against Texas A&M, and ranks 34th nationally by giving up just 62.2 points per game. On the perimeter, OSU is allowing just 26.8 percent shooting from 3-point, which ranks 23rd nationally.

Battle of the Boards
Rebounding is a group effort at Oklahoma State. Not one Cowboy ranks among the Big 12's top 10 rebounders, yet the team ranks third in the league and 41st nationally with 41.5 boards per game. Led by 6-6 guard Jeffrey Carroll, six different OSU players average between 5.0 and 6.7 rebounds per game.

The Series Between OSU & Austin Peay
This is just the second meeting between Austin Peay and Oklahoma State, and the first since Nov. 17, 2001. That day, Maurice Baker exploded for a near triple-double - 29 points, 10 rebounds & eight assists - to lead the No. 18 ranked Cowboys to an 81-58 victory in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Baker was only months removed from recording just the second triple-double in program history - 19 points, 14 rebounds & 10 assists against UTSA on Jan. 3, 2001. No OSU player has posted a triple-double since that day.

Fresh Faces For Austin Peay
Freshman Terry Taylor wasted little time making his presence known. In his first week of collegiate action, Taylor averaged 15.3 points and notched back-to-back double-doubles to earn Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Freshman of the Week on Nov. 20. He is the first Gov since Chris Horton (Feb. 14-16, 2013) with back-to-back double-double outings as a freshman. Taylor is averaging 13.5 points per game this season.

These Govs Play Defense
Much like the Cowboys, the Governors run a high-pressure defense that denies passing lanes and attempts to speed up their opponents, and the results speak for themselves. Austin Peay ranks ninth nationally with an average of 20.17 turnovers forced per game, and they're 13th in the NCAA with 10.2 steals per game. Tre' Ivory (2.17 spg) and Dayton Gumm (1.83 spg) lead the way for the Austin Peay defense.

Against The Ohio Valley Conference
Oklahoma State has never lost to a current member of the OVC, although it is a small sample size. OSU is 7-0 all-time against the current OVC lineup.