Oklahoma State Beats Oklahoma 57-49 In Big 12 Tourney Opener

Caleb Asberry scored 15 points, Bryce Thompson added 12 and seventh-seeded Oklahoma State overcame two more injuries in the backcourt to beat No. 10 seed Oklahoma 57-49 in the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night.

The Cowboys already were missing star guard Avery Anderson III following wrist surgery. Chris Harris Jr. then left midway through the first half after landing awkwardly on a 3-point attempt, and John-Michael Wright was hurt with about 4 1/2 minutes to go while scrambling for the ball near midcourt.

It’s unknown whether either player will be available when the Cowboys (18-14) play seventh-ranked Texas, the No. 2 seed, in the quarterfinal Thursday in a game that could decide whether they earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

Tanner Groves had 13 points to lead the Sooners (15-17), who went 6 of 23 from the 3-point line, shot 25% from the field for the game and finished with a season-low for points. Grant Sherfield scored eight on 2-for-14 shooting.

It’s unknown whether either player will be available when the Cowboys (18-14) play seventh-ranked Texas, the No. 2 seed, in the quarterfinal Thursday in a game that could decide whether they earn an NCAA Tournament bid.

Tanner Groves had 13 points to lead the Sooners (15-17), who went 6 of 23 from the 3-point line, shot 25% from the field for the game and finished with a season-low for points. Grant Sherfield scored eight on 2-for-14 shooting.

The Cowboys are trying to make this a memorable trip to the Big 12 tourney after serving a one-year NCAA-imposed postseason ban a year ago. Starting off with a whipping of their Bedlam rival certainly helped.

Oklahoma State proved in sweeping the Sooners during the regular season that they were the class of the state, and they showed it again Wednesday night. They used an 18-1 run covering more than 7 minutes to turn an early three-point deficit into a 22-8 lead by the under-8 media timeout.

And while the Sooners rallied with a 12-0 run of their own, Oklahoma State still took a 26-20 lead into the break.

It was the fewest points Oklahoma had scored in a half this season.

The Sooners continued to struggle offensively after the break. The few times they started to build some momentum, Thompson and Co. were there to close the door and ensure a date with the Longhorns and a chance to improve their NCAA Tournament hopes.