Oklahoma State basketball pulls away from ORU in 2025-26 season opener

STILLWATER — The Cowboys are beginning within the win column in Yr 2 of the Steve Lutz period.

Oklahoma State opened its season Tuesday night time in opposition to Oral Roberts at Gallagher-Iba Enviornment, defeating the Golden Eagles 95-71. The Cowboys’ dimension and shot-making had been the catalysts. Lutz earned his second season-opening victory in as a few years.

OSU jumped out to a 22-12 lead because of an 11-2 run. Its inside presence and tempo of play affected the Golden Eagles early, as massive man Parsa Fallah bulldozed his means into a few simple buckets on the rim, and guard Jaylen Curry was efficient in transition as a scorer and playmaker.

ORU rapidly countered with a run of its personal, although, knotting the sport at 28 with 6:43 left within the first half after holding OSU scoreless for 3 minutes.

The Cowboys and Golden Eagles continued to commerce jabs — ORU made 5 straight photographs to take a 39-37 lead, however OSU responded and took a 50-46 first-half benefit into the locker room after Vyctorius Miller scored 5 factors in lower than 40 seconds.

OSU was capable of create a much bigger cushion within the second half, although, after holding the Golden Eagles to 23% taking pictures within the first 10 minutes of the interval and making three of its first seven 3-point photographs.

With eight minutes left, Fallah stole the ball and jammed in a one-handed fastbreak dunk to present the Cowboys an 81-61 lead, their largest but. OSU then rode the momentum the remainder of the way in which to safe the win.

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Cowboys use balanced scoring assault

OSU guard Anthony Roy, who averaged 25.7 factors at Inexperienced Bay final season, missed Tuesday’s recreation resulting from a groin harm. Miller and a few the Cowboys’ switch portal pickups helped OSU keep afloat with out one in all its projected prime scorers.

Miller, the LSU switch guard, tallied 13 first-half factors and utilized constant rim strain. After beating his defender off the dribble a number of occasions, ORU was compelled to place him on the free-throw line eight occasions, the place Miller went 7 of 8.

And with the Cowboys up 72-61 with 9 minutes left, Miller drilled an and-1 nook 3-pointer that put the GIA crowd on its toes. Miller went 2 of 5 from behind the arc and scored a team-high 21 factors.

Fallah and UAB switch ahead Christian Coleman every chipped in double digits, too. Coleman scored 15 on 60% taking pictures, whereas Fallah used his dimension and contact to maneuver his means right into a 15-point night time, too.

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OSU wins inside battle

On the sport’s first play, Fallah drove to the rim and transformed a layup with ease. That was an indication of what was to return.

The Cowboys out-rebounded ORU 52-37 and completed with 15 offensive rebounds. OSU additionally grabbed 37 defensive rebounds to the Golden Eagles’ 26.

It wasn’t simply Fallah who had his means inside, both. Serbian ahead Andrija Vukovic scored 11 factors on an environment friendly 4-of-6 taking pictures and grabbed three offensive rebounds within the course of, whereas Robert Jennings II and Coleman mixed for six buckets within the paint.

Coleman secured a team-high 11 rebounds, with Fallah and Curry every grabbing eight. Coleman additionally turned the tenth participant in OSU historical past to file a double-double in his staff debut.