Oklahoma State @ Syracuse preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 5, 2006 ) Oklahoma State 72, Syracuse 68

It will be a homecoming for Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton on Wednesday as the native of Brooklyn leads his undefeated Cowboys squad into the Barclays Center to face Syracuse in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Off to their best start in five years, the Cowboys used a strong defensive effort to hold off Western Michigan 70-63 on Friday and earn their fifth consecutive victory to open the season.

The shots weren’t falling for the Cowboys on Friday as they went 2-for-14 from 3-point range in the second half, but they received five blocks from sophomore Yor Anei and four steals from Isaac Likekele to grind out a hard-fought win. “Our guys have really stuck with one another, encouraging each other even when we’ve been struggling,” Boynton told reporters. “That’s why we’ve been finding ways to win games, even when we haven’t made shots at a really high level.” Syracuse forward Elijah Hughes provided 16 of his 21 points in the first half Saturday while also chipping in with six rebounds and five assists as the Orange earned a dominant 97-46 victory over Bucknell. “(Hughes) knows where people are and he’s really terrific,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim told the media. “When you get a forward to average five or six assists per game, that’s a lot. But I think everyone is looking for each other and trying to get people the ball and that’s a good thing.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (5-0): Anei recorded four or more blocks in a game for the 11th time Friday and registered his third career double-double with team-high totals of 13 points and 12 rebounds. A big reason why the Cowboys are holding opponents to 36 percent shooting this season is the presence of Anei, who has rejected at least one shot in 22 straight games and now sits 10th in program history with 102 career blocks. Oklahoma State’s trio of senior starters – Thomas Dziagwa, Lindy Waters III and Cameron McGriff – struggled offensively against Western Michigan as they combined to go 4-for-13 from downtown and 2-for-12 from inside the arc.

ABOUT SYRACUSE (4-1): Sophomore Buddy Boeheim went 4-of-4 from 3-point range in the second half Saturday and finished with a pair of career bests - six made triples and a team-high 22 points scored. Hughes and Boeheim nearly combined to themselves set the program record for made 3s in a game as the pair finished with 11 of the team’s 14 triples – one shy of tying the single-game record. Freshman guard Joseph Girard III tallied 12 points and a team-best six helpers while fellow rookie Jesse Edwards hit all five of his shots off the bench to finish with a career-high 10 points while adding five boards and two blocks.

TIP-INS

1. The 97 points Syracuse scored Saturday against Bucknell was the most for the program since a 99-77 victory over Boston University in 2016.

2. Of the 39 active players with at least 100 career blocks, Anei is the only one in his sophomore season.

3. Syracuse has lost two in a row to Oklahoma State with its last win coming in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Carmelo Anthony scored 13 points for the Orange while Tony Allen had 10 for the Cowboys.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 74, Syracuse 69