Cowboys Hosting Central Arkansas In Holiday Hoops Noon Tipoff

Friday, December 21

Stillwater, OK

Noon

Oklahoma State University

Central Arkansas

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Cowboys Hosting Central Arkansas In Holiday Hoops Noon Tipoff

December 20, 2018 | Cowboy Basketball

• Game Center
Opponent: Central Arkansas (4-7, 0-0 Southland)
Date / Tipoff: Dec. 21, 2018 / Noon CT
Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Series: OSU leads 3-0 (3-0 in GIA)
Tickets: okstate.com/tickets or 877-ALL-4-OSU
TV: FSOK (Mike Wolfe, Bryndon Manzer, Allison Gappa)
Webcast: FoxSportsGo.com or FoxSportsGo app
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb)
Satellite Radio: None
OSU Game Notes

• The Basics
Oklahoma State is back in Gallagher-Iba Arena for Holiday hoops. The Cowboys are hosting Central Arkansas in a noon tipoff on Friday in what has become a fan favorite in recent years. OSU began playing a noon Holiday game in 2016, and it was the most attended home game prior to Big 12 play. In 2017, it was topped in non-con play only by the Wichita State game and the home opener. On Friday, the Cowboys will look to end their four-game losing streak, which is the longest of the Boynton era. Central Arkansas is coached by former OSU assistant, Russ Pennell, and is wrapping up a five-game road swing that included trips to Louisville, Little Rock, New Mexico, Indiana and OSU.

• On the Air
The matchup between the Cowboys and Bears will air on Fox Sports Oklahoma at noon Central. Mike Wolfe, Bryndon Manzer and Allison Gappa will handle the on-air duties. The webcast is available via FoxSportsGo. Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb will have the Cowboy Radio Network call, which can also be heard on the TuneIn app.

• Iron Sharpens Iron
OSU has faced arguably the nation's toughest non-conference schedule. CBS Sports ranks the Cowboys schedule as the second hardest nationally, while the official NCAA N.E.T. has OSU ranked third in strength of schedule. KenPom has the OSU schedule at No. 13 nationally. Seven of OSU's 10 games have been played away from home, and their last eight opponents have been ranked 122nd or better in the KenPom rankings, including five in the top 60. OSU has played five games against teams ranked or receiving votes in the top-25.

• National Free Throw Leader ... Again
Cowboy captain Lindy Waters currently leads the NCAA in free throw percentage with a clip of 96.8 percent. The junior is 30-of-31 from the stripe this season, which has his career mark up to 80.9 percent. If Waters can hang onto the lead for the rest of the season he would become the third Cowboy to lead the nation in free throw shooting, and the second in the last three seasons. Phil Forte led the NCAA with a mark of 95.5 percent (84-of-88) as a senior in 2016-17 and Arlen Clark did the same as a senior in 1958-59 after shooting 85.2 percent (201-of-241).

• The Series With The Bears
This will be the fourth meeting between Oklahoma State and Central Arkansas, and the Cowboys have taken all three previous matchups. Every meeting has come in Gallagher-Iba Arena since 2010 and the average margin of victory in the series is 16.7 points. In the last meeting in 2016, OSU shot 55.7 percent from the floor and got a season-high 31 points from Phil Forte, 23 points from Jawun Evans and 20 points from Jeffrey Carroll in a 102-90 win.

• Central Arkansas Snapshot
The Bears were picked to finish eighth in the Southland Conference preseason poll after posting their best NCAA Division I season. In 2017-18, UCA reached their second consecutive SLC Tournament and also won their first national postseason game at the D-I level, beating Seattle in the CBI Tournament last March. The Bears finished the 2017-18 season with an 18-17 overall record and a 10-8 mark in league play. This year, UCA is led offensively by DeAndre Jones and Eddy Kayouloud, who are pouring in 13.9 and 13.1 points per game, respectively.

• Leading The Bears
The Bears are led by fifth-year head coach Russ Pennell, who is a former OSU assistant coach under Eddie Sutton from 1990-92. Pennell played for Sutton at Arkansas from 1980-82 before finishing his career at Central Arkansas from 1982-84. While Pennell was an assistant coach in Stillwater, the Cowboys were 52-16 and advanced to the Sweet 16 twice. He later coached under Rob Evans at Ole Miss (1992-98) and Arizona State, and was the interim head coach at Arizona in 2008-09. He was the head coach at Grand Canyon from 2009-13 and interim head coach of the Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) in 2013.