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STILLWATER – For the first time since Cade Cunningham bounced a ball in GIA, the Cowboys are 3-0.

Oklahoma State defeated Southern Illinois 85-78 on Thursday night. Here are five thoughts on the game.

1. That was closer than it should have been

The Cowboys had an 18-point lead with 4:23 to play, and it looked like the Pokes were putting the Salukis away. …But the Salukis began to storm back.

SIU went on a 16-2 run in the span of 3:49. The 16 points the Salukis scored came from two players. It was 82-78 with 20 seconds to play when the Cowboys hit a pair of free throws to clear the ice.

“Probably the most important lesson from the game 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. We’re forgoing winning basketball and getting ourselves into a bit of trouble.

“We are 18 points ahead and we conceded a 16-2 run. There’s no point in doing that. That said, I kind of let them sit in it because I want them to figure things out. I can’t call timeouts and always right the ship. We have to find a way to get enough internal leadership to right the ship when things go bad.”

The Salukis shot 52% from the field for the game and 39% from 3. There are stretches where it is difficult for teams to get the ball half court against the Pokes, but there are also others where OSU is in rotation ends up, often ending with someone pump-faking under the basket before putting the ball in or shooting an open 3. It’s a tough balance to play with how aggressive the Cowboys are, but…

2. They force a lot of turnovers

The Cowboys are swarming to lose balls. It’s like throwing some fish food into a reluctant pond.

SIU had 18 turnovers Thursday night, which resulted in 30 Cowboy points. The Cowboys managed 11 steals – the third time in as many games that OSU has reached double figures. That’s already more such games than OSU had all of last season. OSU has scored 77 points off turnovers this season – that’s 30% of their total points off turnovers.

Meanwhile, the OSU offense turned the ball over just seven times on Thursday, the fewest they have this season, and OSU registered assists on 19 of their 31 goals – a season high in assists.

“I think our level of aggression is good, but now you have to have some discipline with it,” Lutz said. “You need to know that, okay, I’m closing in on this guy who might not be a great three-point shooter, and I know he’s going to drive it to the right because we told you over and over again in the scouting report. And now you have to apply it. That must be the next step.”

3. Take it to Ousmane

Back from a one-match suspension for breaching team rules, Abou Ousmane was too much for the Salukis.

Ousmane scored 18 points Thursday night and didn’t miss a shot until there were about six minutes left to play. Ousmane, a 6-foot-1, 245-pound center, did more than just score, though. He also had four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and three steals.

He was bigger than anyone on the floor Thursday, but his athleticism was sometimes more noticeable than his size. There was an SIU inbounds play in the second half, with 6-foot-4 Jarrett Hensley catching the ball open on the wing. Ousmane ran out of bounds, jumped and blocked the three-point attempt.

Because Ousmane was bigger than virtually anyone SIU could throw at him, the Salukis opted to post in front of him for most of the game, but Ousmane let the coordination seal his man, bring in lobbed entry passes and quickly adjust for a few dunks. . They were the kind of plays that weren’t as easy as they looked.

4. Brandon Newman has the smoothest jumper since Lindy Waters

Brandon Newman emerged from the Cowboys’ deep pool of guards on Thursday to score 18 points on nine shots.

His sweater is smooth. It’s not quite the same as Lindy Waters, but it has that level of effortlessness. He went 3-for-4 from 3 on Thursday, part of the Cowboys’ 40% shooting from 3-point range.

No matter how fast the Cowboys play, Newman rarely looks accelerated and seems to pick his spots well. He’s been under Lutz at Purdue and Western Kentucky, so that makes sense. But it just seems like he’s doing a good job of being part of the system instead of forcing things.

“The point Lutz is trying to get across is the same,” Newman said. “Point Guards push to the elbows, the wings come to the corner. If you’re the first big down, seal to see if the point guard can get a layup, a four-man route – it’s all the same stuff. Be in the defensive line, deny the ball, press the ball – it’s all the same.”

5. A fun after-time out set

With 37 seconds left in the first half, a timeout was called. The Cowboys had the ball and Lutz went to work.

Ousmane screened for Bryce Thompson, who received another screen from Robert Jennings after a transfer. Ousmane’s screen put Thompson’s man on the ground, forcing the defender guarding Jennings to switch to Thompson. Then, in the midst of all that chaos, Ousmane rolled to the rim for an easy dunk with his man somewhere between Ousmane and Jennings’ guards.

Lutz has appeared in the NCAA tournament three straight seasons. He can clearly coach, but it was fun to see him dip into his bag of tricks for this late timeout set.

This ball movement >> pic.twitter.com/04puw8KXyT

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) November 15, 2024

Unfortunately, those points were reversed a few seconds late when SIU hit a 3 as time expired in the half.

Postgame news conferences