Oklahoma State Locks Down Delaware State

Delaware State brought an "ugly" style of basketball to Gallagher-Iba Arena and for the first few minutes the seventh-ranked Cowboys played along those lines as well. But Oklahoma State used an 18-0 run that spanned 8:21 of the first half to blow the game open and never looked back en route to a 75-43 victory on Tuesday night.

Le'Bryan Nash and Markel Brown led the way with 14 points each with Nash also chipping in eight rebounds. Leading scorer Marcus Smart, who was scoreless at halftime, finished with eight points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals. The Cowboys (10-1) forced 17 turnovers and outscored DSU 36-12 in the paint.

The 30-16 score at the half was fairly indicative of the slow, sloppy period, especially considering the Cowboys average nearly 90 points per game. Playing zone more often than not and routinely using the entire shot clock on offense, the Hornets (2-9) held OSU to its lowest-scoring first half on the season.

After a three by Delaware State's Kendal Williams made it 7-8, the Cowboys turned it up on the defensive end. Brown came away with a couple steals off the press to spark the big run and the Hornets turned it over five times between baskets.

It was a frustrating night for Cowboy sixth-man Phil Forte, who finished 2-for-12 from the field and 1-for-10 from three-point range. His only make came with three minutes remaining to raucous applause from the crowd.

As a team OSU shot 26-percent, well below its 39-percent average from behind the arc. But that was probably the only negative takeaway from the blowout. The Cowboys outscored the Hornets 28-6 in points off turnovers and 21-0 in fast break points.

Stevie Clark added nine points, Michael Cobbins scored eight and Kamari Murphy put up five points, seven boards and four blocks. Delaware State center Kendall Gray had a double-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds to lead the Hornets.

Oklahoma State heads to the desert of Las Vegas where the Cowboys will face the 20 th ranked Colorado Buffaloes in the MGM Grand Showcase on Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. CT.