STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State emerged victorious over Cincinnati by a score of 78-67 on Saturday, concluding their Big 12 regular season with a win. Abou Ousmane led the charge for the Cowboys with an impressive 24 points, while Bryce Thompson contributed 16 points.
Marchelus Avery added value off the bench by scoring 10 points for Oklahoma State (15-16, 7-13), which had a stunning 7-for-9 performance from the 3-point line.
For Cincinnati (17-14, 7-13), Jizzle James led in scoring with 17 points, while reserve Dan Skillings Jr. and Day Day Thomas added 15 and 12 points, respectively. Depending on the result of the game between West Virginia and UCF later in the day, it is possible that Cincinnati and Oklahoma State may face off again in conference play on Tuesday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
On senior day, the Cowboys transformed their narrow 20-18 lead with 11 minutes remaining in the first half into a commanding 40-22 lead with just over four minutes to go before halftime. This 18-4 scoring run was significantly fueled by Ousmane, who contributed 11 points during this stretch.
The Bearcats attempted a comeback and narrowed the gap with a 14-4 run to cut the halftime deficit to 44-36. Throughout the second half, Cincinnati continually worked to diminish their point deficit but were ultimately unable to overtake the Cowboys.
A jump shot by Thomas with just over six minutes to play brought Cincinnati within two points, at 64-62, but the Bearcats failed to close the gap any further.
