Field Level Media
Mar 3, 2018
All three seniors for Oklahoma State scored in double figures Saturday, including a game-high 25 points from guard Kendall Smith, as the Cowboys plastered No. 6 Kansas 82-64 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.
Forward Mitchell Solomon added 16 points and guard Jeffrey Carroll had 10 in their final appearances at home for Oklahoma State (18-13, 8-10 Big 12), which led the entire game.
The convincing upset enabled the Cowboys to become the first Big 12 rival to sweep the Jayhawks in a season series under 15th-year coach Bill Self. Kansas (24-7, 13-5), which had already clinched the Big 12 title outright, had not been swept in the previous 102 league home-and-homes coached by Self.
Senior guard Devonte' Graham posted 15 points and eight assists to lead Kansas, which committed 17 turnovers after previously averaging just 11.5.
The Jayhawks, who will carry the No. 1 seed into next week's Big 12 Tournament, had a five-game win streak snapped. They called a timeout with six minutes remaining after Cowboys guard Lindy Waters forced a turnover on a charge and then drained a 3-pointer for a 68-51 bulge. Self was then assessed a technical foul just four seconds later while protesting another charging call.
Oklahoma State padded its NCAA Tournament credentials with its sixth victory against a Top 25 opponent under Mike Boynton, who at 36 is in his first season coaching the Cowboys. Not only did Oklahoma State sweep Kansas, it also defeated two other top-tier teams in the Big 12, West Virginia and Texas Tech.
The Cowboys were superior on both ends in the first half, gaining a 46-30 halftime lead behind 56.7 percent shooting while forcing 10 turnovers and holding the Jayhawks to a 42.9 percent clip.
Solomon was perfect from the field (4-for-4) and the foul line (5-for-5) while netting 14 points to pace the Cowboys, who played before a rare sellout in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
A 13-0 run established a 30-14 advantage for the Cowboys, a spree that included four turnovers on five possessions for the Jayhawks, who eventually faced their biggest halftime deficit of the season. Graham scored 12 first-half points to pace Kansas, including two of its three makes from 3-point range.
--Field Level Media