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    • Oklahoma State basketball holds off Southern Illinois and improves to 3-0
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    Oklahoma State basketball holds off Southern Illinois and improves to 3-0

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    Parker Gerl
    | For the Oklahoman

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    STILLWATER – For the first time since the 2020-21 season, Oklahoma State men’s basketball is 3-0.

    The Cowboys defeated Southern Illinois 85-78 on Thursday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena after a second-half explosion helped OSU hold off the Salukis. The Cowboys got revenge on SIU, as the Salukis defeated OSU in each of the past two seasons.

    Here are three lessons from the game:

    Once the Cowboys got going from 3, they put themselves in a better position to shut down SIU.

    OSU led only 38-37 after halftime after a poor 2 of 11 from 3. But the Cowboys’ three-point luck turned around as they made six of their next nine from deep to complete a run and take of 23- to make 9. a 76-60 lead with 6:21 remaining.

    During the second half, the Cowboys’ defense also made things more difficult for the Salukis.

    OSU forced SIU into eight turnovers in the second half (18 total) and held the Salukis’ fast-paced offense to two transition points. But after Cowboys first-year head coach Steve Lutz called his team’s second-half defense against St. Thomas “disappointing,” OSU is still looking to improve in that area.

    “The most important thing we can learn from the race is that we have to learn how to finish,” Lutz said. “We have to learn how to kill people when you score 18 points and play winning basketball.

    But this restart increased the intensity.

    “Eighteen turnovers, it’s fantastic,” Lutz said. “I think our aggression level is good.”

    After missing OSU’s last game due to a violation of team rules, big man Abou Ousmane stepped in again and helped the Cowboys stay afloat.

    Ousmane scored 10 points in the first half on perfect 5-of-5 shooting, scoring eight in the first six minutes of the game. The Xavier transfer’s early scoring was crucial as the rest of the Cowboy team started 3 of 20 from the field.

    “(A) small setback before a big comeback, that’s how I look at it,” Abou said. “I’m just happy to be back with the team.”

    OSU continued to use Abou in the second half, making a half-court play to give the 6-foot-2 center an alley-oop layup less than three minutes after the break. Ousmane quickly followed it up with a steal and an assist, allowing the Cowboys to quickly go on an 8-0 run.

    After finishing the night with 18 points and four rebounds, Ousmane is averaging 17 points and six rebounds.

    Paint points have been easy to come by for OSU this season. The Cowboys scored 44 against the Salukis after putting up 38 in the painted area against St. Thomas.

    “(Ousmane) was a handful tonight,” Lutz said. “Those guys had a hard time (guarding him). We need to give him the ball more, to be honest… I thought he was fantastic tonight.”

    Brandon Newman is a new face to OSU fans, but he isn’t to Lutz.

    Newman played for the Cowboys’ first-year coach at Western Kentucky and at Purdue last season when Lutz was an assistant for the Boilermakers. But Newman has his OSU coming out party on Thursday.

    Newman scored a team-high 18 points, scoring 11 in the second half. He was efficient at both levels for the Cowboys, shooting 7-for-9 from the field and 3-for-4 on 3s.

    “I honestly expected to take more shots,” Newman said. “But my teammates did a good job of finding me, getting me open and also setting screens.”

    OSU plays different guards every night, but Newman’s dynamic scoring was big Thursday night and gave Cowboys fans a first look at what he could provide all season.

    “He played a lot of basketball and won a lot,” Lutz said.

    More: How Oklahoma State basketball coach Steve Lutz attacks the rebuild is the only way he knows

    Oklahoma State basketball live score updates vs. Southern Illinois

    More: Oklahoma State men’s basketball schedule: dates, times, TV for 2024-2025 season

    • Date: Thursday November 14th
    • Start time: 7pm CT
    • Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater

    More: Oklahoma State men’s basketball roster: A look at the 2024-25 OSU Cowboys

    What channel is Oklahoma State vs Southern Illinois on today?

    More: Big 12 men’s basketball power rankings: How high does UCF rise after another upset?

    Oklahoma State vs. Basketball Highlights Southern Illinois

    More: USA TODAY Sports Network Preseason All-Big 12 basketball team, coach and player of the year

    Oklahoma State Men’s Basketball Schedule 2024

    All times are Central Standard Time (CST)

    • Monday November 4:State of Oklahoma 89, Green Bay 76
    • Sunday November 10: Oklahoma State 80, St. Thomas Minnesota 71
    • Thursday November 14: vs. Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Thursday November 21: vs. Florida Atlantic at 1:30 PM in Charleston, South Carolina (ESPN2 or ESPNU)
    • Friday November 22: vs. Drake or Miami to be determined in Charleston, South Carolina (ESPN2 or ESPNU)
    • Sunday November 24: vs. TBD at TBD in Charleston, South Carolina (TBD)
    • Wednesday December 4: in Tulsa at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Sunday December 8: at Seton Hall at 11 a.m. (FS1)
    • Saturday December 14: vs. Oklahoma at 7:00 PM in Oklahoma City (ESPNU)
    • Wednesday December 18: vs. Tarleton State at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Sunday December 22: vs. Oral Roberts at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Monday December 30: vs. Houston at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Saturday January 4: in West Virginia at 11 a.m. (CBSSN)
    • Tuesday January 7: vs. Kansas State at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Saturday January 11: in Utah at 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Tuesday January 14: at BYU at 8 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Saturday January 18: vs. Colorado at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Tuesday January 21: vs. Arizona at 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
    • Sunday January 26: at Texas Tech at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Wednesday January 29: at Kansas State at 7 p.m. (CBSSN)
    • Saturday February 1: vs. Utah at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Tuesday February 4: in Houston at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Sunday February 9: vs. Arizona State at 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Wednesday February 12: at TCU at 6 p.m. (CBSSN)
    • Saturday February 15: vs. Texas Tech at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Wednesday February 19: vs. UCF at 8 p.m. (ESPN2 or ESPNU)
    • Saturday February 22: in Kansas at 3 p.m. (CBS)
    • Tuesday February 25: vs. Iowa State at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Saturday March 1: at Baylor at 7 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Wednesday March 5: at UCF at 6 p.m. (ESPN+)
    • Saturday March 8: vs. Cincinnati at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)

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