Likekele leads Oklahoma State over WVU, 85-77

Isaac Likekele scored a career-high 23 points with nine rebounds and Oklahoma State won its first true road game, beating West Virginia 85-77 on Saturday.
  

After an ugly, back-and-forth first 15 minutes, the Cowboys (8-8, 2-2 Big 12) had a one-point lead before Cameron McGriff led a quick 11-2 run with five straight points to stretch the margin to 10 with two minutes left.

The Cowboys led 39-28 at halftime.
  

Lamont West and James "Beetle" Bolden gave the Mountaineers (8-8, 0-4) a spark out of the break to cut the Cowboy lead to three with a little over 10 minutes to play.

   Likekele then led Oklahoma State on a 12-4 run with nine points to put the Cowboys up by double digits. West Virginia would not recover.

   McGriff finished with his fifth double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Curtis Jones came off the bench to score 15.

   Bolden led the Mountaineers with 31 points. WVU freshman phenom Derek Culver clinched his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Lamont West added 13 points.

   The loss gives the Mountaineers their first 0-4 start in conference play since the 1995-96 season, when they lost to Georgetown, Connecticut, Pittsburgh and St. John's to start their inaugural Big East season.

   BIG PICTURE

   Oklahoma State: After struggling during the holidays with losses to Minnesota, Tulsa, Houston and Nebraska, the Pokes are jelling at the right time with their second straight win. The red-hot Cowboys will host Baylor, Iowa State, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Kansas State over the next couple weeks.

   West Virginia: The Mountaineers have struggled to find an offensive identity over the first half of their season and with games against TCU, Kansas and Tennessee in the next few weeks, the search for their ninth win may be a long one.

   UP NEXT

   Oklahoma State: Returns to Stillwater to begin their five-game homestretch against Baylor on Monday.

   West Virginia: Continues the search for their first conference win at TCU on Tuesday.