STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State pulled away in the second half to defeat Oklahoma City University 86-66 in a men's basketball exhibition Monday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Keiton Page topped Oklahoma State with 21 points, while Brandon Moton of OCU led all scorers with 26 points. Both teams made their season debut before a crowd of 9,802.
Oklahoma State sank 56.7 percent of its shots from the field in the second half after hitting on only 38.2 percent in the first period. OCU committed 27 turnovers to allow Oklahoma State a 25-14 advantage in points off turnovers.
Oklahoma State increased its advantage in the second period from a 44-38 halftime edge.
“We had good intensity to start the game,” OCU coach Kevin Morrissey said. “Our effort level was good. We got them out of their safety zone early. There was a five-minute stretch between the halves that made the difference in the game.”
Dee Proby supplied OCU with 15 points to be the Stars' only other double-digit scorer. Nate Flowers added nine points and eight rebounds.
Moton, a junior from Beaumont, Texas, stepped onto the court for the first time since 2007-08. Flowers, a senior from Waldorf, Md., and Proby, a senior from Round Rock, Texas, sat out 2009-10 at OCU redshirting along with Moton.
“Brandon is capable of scoring like that even though he hadn't played in a couple of years,” Morrissey said. “Dee did well enough. Nate will get his rebounds, and he will be good for those.
“You want to go out and play with intensity in a game like this. For some of our guys, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
OCU's Shane Rogers scored a layup to cut Oklahoma State's lead to 52-46 at the 16:38 mark, but OSU answered with a 10-0 run. Page ignited OSU with a lay-in, then Jarred Shaw followed with a transition bucket. Darrell Williams sank the next four points. Markel Brown and Jean-Paul Olukemi hit free throws to put the Cowboys up 62-46.
Shaw stretched Oklahoma State's advantage to 74-54 on free throws with 6:44 remaining in the contest. Shaw's slam provided OSU its largest lead at 80-56 at 3:30 left.
“There was a stretch where we didn't execute,” Morrissey said. “They succumbed to what the Cowboys want you to do, which is make you take long shots and get the rebound.”
Proby converted a 3-point play to give OCU a 36-35 edge with 1:54 remaining in the first period. Bryant Williams fed Proby from one block to the other in the lane, and Proby knocked in the bucket and drew the foul. Proby sank the ensuing free throw.
Oklahoma State erased OCU's advantage by outscoring the Stars 8-2 to finish the first half. OCU managed only Johnny Stephene's free throws at the 1:05 mark during that stretch. Page hit a 3-pointer, two free throws and a jumper to spark OSU to a 44-38 halftime lead.
Proby also dropped in a 3 from the top of the key using Williams' assist to put the Stars ahead 27-26 with 6:11 left in the first.
The Stars face Central Oklahoma, ranked 18th in NCAA Division II, at 7 p.m. Thursday at Abe Lemons Arena.
Boxscore
