Cowboy Basketball Closing Homestand Against Kansas City Saturday

Saturday, November 9

Stillwater, OK

2 p.m.

Oklahoma State University

Kansas City

Cowboy Basketball Closing Homestand Against Kansas City Saturday

November 07, 2019 | Cowboy Basketball

• Game Center
Oklahoma State (1-0, 0-0 Big 12) vs Kansas City (1-0, 0-0 WAC)
Date / Tipoff: Nov. 9, 2019 / 2 p.m.
Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611)
Tickets: okstate.com/tickets or 877-ALL-4-OSU
Series: OSU leads 8-0 (4-0 in GIA)
Last: OSU won 61-43 on Dec. 29, 2016
Broadcast: ESPN+ (Mike Wolfe, Bryndon Manzer, Jessica Morrey)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb)
Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com
Oklahoma State Game Notes

• The Basics
The Oklahoma State basketball team opened the 2019-20 season with a block party. The Cowboys posted 12 total blocks, including eight from sophomore Yor Anei, in a win over Oral Roberts to extend their streak of home-opening wins to 44 straight. OSU blocked 30.8 percent of ORU's 2-point field goal attempts and held the Golden Eagles to 33.8 percent shooting. Now, the Cowboys turn their attention to Kansas City, which handed Avila (NAIA) a 102-49 loss in their season opener. The Roos are led by Brandon McKissic, an All-WAC Defensive Team selection, who scored 27 points on Tuesday.

• On the Air
The game will appear on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, the new digital platform that will serve as the home for thousands of live Big 12 and ESPN events, on-demand content and original programing. ESPN+ is available via the ESPN App, ESPN.com or espnplus.com, as well as on most major mobile and connected TV platforms (AppleTV, Roku, Chromecast, FireTV, XBOX One, Playstation 4, ect.) for just $4.99 per month. The announcing team of Mike Wolfe, Bryndon Manzer and Jessica Morrey will have the ESPN+ call. Dave Hunziker and John Holcomb will have Cowboy Radio Network call from historic Eddie Sutton Court.

• Block Party
OSU's 12 blocks against Oral Roberts are tied for the fifth most in program history and are the most by a Cowboy team since 2002. The 12 blocks are the most by any team in the nation so far in 2019-20, and OSU's 30.8 block percentage is the second-best outing of the young season.

• Yor Being Yor
Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention selection Yor Anei rejected eight shots in the season opener against ORU. That mark is tied for the second most blocks in school history with Anei's last regular season game in GIA - an eight-block game in the 2018-19 home finale against West Virginia. Anei tied the school record with 85 swats last season and already ranks 11th among all Cowboys with 93 career blocks. His 2.82 blocks per game average is the best in program history, and since March 1 Anei is averaging 6.6 blocks every time he takes the floor.

• Paint Protector
Yor Anei's ability has a suffocating effect on opposing offenses. While he was on the floor, Anei blocked 31.6 percent of Oral Roberts' 2-point field goal attempts, and for the night ORU shot just 44.8 percent in the paint - a figure that includes layups and dunks. Last season, Anei ranked fourth nationally with a block percentage of 13.65 while racking up 85 rejections.

• Scouting The Roos
First-year head coach Billy Donlon leads Kansas City into Gallagher-Iba Arena coming off a 102-49 win over Avila (NAIA) to open his tenure with the Roos. Avila hit the game's opening 3-pointer but wouldn't lead again in the 53-point blowout. Brandon McKissic, an All-WAC Defensive Team selection, scored 23-points in the first half and finished with 27 on the night to lead Kansas City. Marvin Nesbitt added a double-double with 14 points and 11 boards. The Roos were picked to finish eighth in the nine-team Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

• The Series With Kansas City
Oklahoma State leads the series with Kansas City, 8-0, including a perfect 4-0 mark in GIA, although no current member of the Cowboy roster has faced the Roos. The average margin of victory in the series is 19.8 points, including the 61-43 win over the Roos in the last meeting back on Dec. 29, 2015.