Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State University
14-14,6-11Big 12
Iowa State
21-7,11-6Big 12
Cowboys ride defense to win against No. 9 Iowa State
February 25, 2025 | Cowboy Basketball
STILLWATER (AP) — Abou Ousmane scored 25 points and Oklahoma State beat No. 9 Iowa State 74-68 on Tuesday night.
Arturo Dean had 14 points and seven steals, and Bryce Thompson added 11 points for the Cowboys (14-14, 6-11 Big 12). A crowd that grew as the game progressed celebrated by storming the court.
Oklahoma State had no previous wins over AP Top 25 teams this season under first-year coach Steve Lutz. The Cowboys lost their previous two games against ranked opponents Texas Tech and Kansas by a combined 70 points.
Josh Jefferson scored 17 points and Nate Heise added 13 for Iowa State (21-7, 11-6). The Cyclones were trying to bounce back from a loss at then-No. 5 Houston on Saturday. Keshon Gilbert, the team's No. 2 scorer this season, sat out with a muscle strain. Curtis Jones, who leads Iowa State with just over 17 points per game, was held to 11 on 2-for-8 shooting.
Oklahoma State ran out to a 12-4 lead as Iowa State made just one field goal in the first five minutes. The Cowboys rolled to a 40-26 halftime lead behind 12 points from Ousmane.
Iowa State trimmed it to 44-39 before Brandon Newman made an off-balance, contested shot in the lane to help the Cowboys regain control. That sparked a 7-0 run that led to an Iowa State timeout. Oklahoma State pushed its lead to 56-41, then hung on at the end.
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Takeaways:
Iowa State: The Cyclones are 14-1 at home, but 5-5 on the road and 2-1 at neutral sites. They'll have to improve away from Ames if they're going to make a postseason run.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys found some defense after allowing at least 93 points in each of their previous three games.
Key moment: Dean made a pull-up jumper with the shot clock winding down that gave the Cowboys a 70-62 lead with 54 seconds remaining.
Key stat: Iowa State committed 18 turnovers to Oklahoma State's 12.
Up Next: Oklahoma State visits Baylor on Saturday.
