The Cowboys seemed destined for a tight finish, but a huge run easily kept Oklahoma State undefeated.

OSU defeated Southern Illinois 85-78 on Thursday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. On the way to 3-0, OSU got off to its best start since 2020-21.

OSU’s 18-4 run after Southern Illinois tied the game in the second half gave it its largest lead of the night. With defensive intensity, Steve Lutz’s team forced hard shots and turnovers throughout the second half to secure a 3–0 start.

Brandon Newman had a pair of buckets in that run en route to an 18-point night. Meanwhile, Abou Ousmane added 18 points and three offensive rebounds in his return.

After halftime, Southern Illinois took the lead with an Elijah Elliott jumper, but their lead was short-lived. An ensuing 8-0 run by OSU, capped by an Abou Ousmane steal and a Bryce Thompson fastbreak layup, forced a timeout. Thompson’s 3-pointer on the first possession out of the timeout pushed OSU to its largest lead at 49-39.

However, the Salukis responded as they had all night. A 10-0 Southern Illinois run tied the game, with Elliot continuing to cause problems for OSU down the stretch. However, the Salukis were never able to break the seal and OSU quickly regained the lead and never lost it.

The Cowboys struggled to get into a rhythm in the first few minutes and trailed 10-2 for five minutes. Making just one of their first nine shots, the Cowboys offense was non-existent to start the game.

Over the next few minutes, OSU rebounded and used an 8-0 run to help take a one-point lead into the under-8 timeout. While the Cowboys held on to a lead after a nice run, the rest of half a sloppy fight.

Abou Ousmane’s dunk in the final seconds of the half put OSU ahead by four before Southern Illinois’ Elijah Elliott’s 3-pointer brought the Salukis within one for a 38-37 halftime score.

The Cowboys will get a week off before their Charleston Classic against Florida Atlantic next Thursday.

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