Oklahoma State Escapes With Win Over Stanford

Originally Published: Dec 17, 2009 12:43 AM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

PALO ALTO, California – After leading for the majority of the game, the Oklahoma State Cowboys needed a last-second shot to sail past the basket to escape with a 71-70 victory over Stanford Wednesday.

OSU (9-1) led by as much as 15 points in the second half, but the Cowboys committed two costly turnovers in the last two minutes that allowed Stanford (5-4) to go on a 12-2 run and pull within one point. When Keiton Page missed a free throw with 15 seconds left, it gave the Cardinal a chance to win it at the buzzer.

Stanford called a timeout to set up a final play, but Andrew Zimmerman took a contested shot that never came close and the Cowboys pulled down the rebound to seal the victory.

Obi Muonelo and James Anderson carried the OSU offense down the stretch, combining to score 32 of the Cowboys’ 36 second-half points. Muonelo scored 18 of his 20 points and Anderson scored 14 in the second half.

The Cowboys led for so long that Stanford’s last lead was 6-4 less than four minutes into the game. OSU struggled from 3-point range in the first half, making only three of 18 attempts. The Cowboys used stingy defense to carry a 35-30 lead into halftime.

They shot well as the second half began, making both of their first two 3-pointers to help build a 15-point lead. However, the Cowboys never put Stanford away, setting up the climactic finish.

OSU has won three straight games after suffering its first loss of the season against Tulsa on Dec. 2. The Cowboys will try to keep their roll going Monday against La Salle in Oklahoma City as part of the All-College Classic.