Stillwater, OK (Sports Network) - Marcus Smart scored his final points on a
game-winning layup with 3.1 seconds left to lift the Oklahoma State Cowboys to
a 78-76 decision over the Iowa State Cyclones in a Big 12 Conference
Smart finished with a game-high 21 points and dealt out seven assists for
Oklahoma State (14-5, 4-3 Big 12) as it picked up its second-straight win.
Le'Bryan Nash chipped in 18 points, Phil Forte scored 17, and Markel Brown
posted 12 points to go along with eight boards. Michael Cobbins also got into
the mix with 10 points.
Chris Babb paced Iowa State (14-6, 4-3) with 19 points after he drained five
shots from beyond the arc. Georges Niang scored 16 points, Will Clyburn
tallied 14, and Melvin Ejim pulled down a game-high nine boards in the
Cyclones second setback in three outings.
Iowa State knocked down 7-of-13 attempts from 3-point range on its way to a
41-37 halftime lead. The visitors led by as many as nine in the opening
period, but Smart narrowed the deficit with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to
close out the first half. The Cowboys trailed after shooting 48.4 percent from
the field before the break.
The Cyclones opened up the second stanza on a 7-2 run that helped them go up
by 11 points, but the hosts chipped away at the lead before Nash put them
ahead with a pair of successful free throws tries with 12:10 left in
regulation. The teams traded leads before Cobbins made the front end of a trip
the charity stripe to even the score at 76 with under a minute remaining.
After Smart's go-ahead bucket, Tyrus McGee missed a desperation 3-point
attempt at the buzzer. There was some confusion at the end of the contest, as
the it appeared McGee was heading to the line after play was stopped by the
officials, but the referees decided to give ISU the ball out of bounds instead
after officiating crew huddled up to make a collective call.
Despite the loss, the Cyclones knocked down 13-of-24 from beyond the arc and
held a 34-29 edge in the rebounding battle. OSU managed to escape with the
victory by converting the visitors' 17 turnovers into 16 points.
GAME NOTES:
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