Oklahoma State Basketball: Halftime reactions against Iowa State
The Oklahoma State basketball team trails the no. 23 ranked Iowa State Cyclones after the first half, 39-36, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City.
The Oklahoma State basketball team has a key matchup today with the no. 23 ranked and fourth seeded Iowa State Cyclones in the Big 12 Tournament. The game did not start well for the Cowboys as the Clones got off to a ridiculously hot shooting start and OK State did not.
OK State did get some of their depth back in the first half with freshman guard Lindy Waters III returning after a seven game absence due to a foot injury. Freshman forward Cameron McGriff got some quality time on the floor as well in the first half.
ISU’s Monte Morris did not have his best performance in the first half. Morris did finish the half with 11 points, but uncharacteristically, he turned the ball over three times.
Star sophomore point guard Jawun Evans led the Pokes in scoring in the first half with 10 points. Evans added three rebounds, two assists, and one steal, to round out a solid half.
OK State finished the first half on a 13-4 run, but they still remain three points behind the Clones. If my prediction of the Cowboys winning 89-85 is to prove true, then the Pokes need to continue the way they played near the end of the half.
Now, let’s take a look at the halftime reactions between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Iowa State Cyclones.
ISU shooting the lights out
The Clones shooting tear slowed down somewhat near the end of the half, but they still shot almost 10 percent better from the field than OK State. ISU shot 45.2 percent from the field while the Cowboys only shot 35.9 percent.
Furthermore, the Cowboys only shot 22.2 percent from three-point range while the Clones shot 31.2 percent. At one point, the Clones shot 57 percent from the field, so things are trending in the right direction for OK State. That needs to continue for the better part of the second half.
Get open shots, especially in the paint
One of the most telling stats from the first half is blocks. The Clones finished with five blocks while the Pokes did not get a single one. ISU’s bigs stopped the Pokes from having their way in the paint in the first half.
Evans and the Cowboys started to find some more open space on their 13-4 run finishing out the half.
Hit the boards on offense
OK State had the edge in two key stats in the first half. They won the battle on the offensive glass, hauling in six offensive boards while the Clones only brought in three. OK State also won the turnover battle in the first half, but that’s beside the point.
Next: Predicting Oklahoma State vs. Iowa State
Senior forward Leyton Hammonds and McGriff contributed a great amount of value to the Cowboys’ cause in the first half. Hammonds brought in six rebounds and McGriff brought in three coming off the bench.