Jayhawks keep Cowboys winless in Big 12
STILLWATER — For nearly 8 minutes, Oklahoma State had Gallagher-I ba Arena rocking.
The Cowboys had momentum. They made shots. They forced turnovers. They kept No. 3-ranked Kansas silent.
But the other 32 minutes, the Jayhawks flexed their muscles.
OSU's Big 12 woes did not change after a much-needed nonconference win over the weekend. The Cowboys' offense was again dismal, and the Jayhawks dominated in the second half for a 65-50 victory late Monday night.
Through 20 games, the Cowboys are a .500 team that can't win in the conference. They've lost each of their seven Big 12 games, often a result of poor shooting.
Monday night, the Cowboys shot just 28.1 percent overall, a season low. They made just 2 of 18 3-pointers.
But for a stretch, it appeared OS U had things close to solved.
Kansas (17-3, 6-1) led 24-7 with 7:55 remaining in the opening half. OSU's offense was again off to a poor start.
Senior Cam McGriff made a layup. He followed with two foul shots and a 3- pointer. Star point guard Isaac Likekele bullied his way to the basket for a few layups.
OSU went on a 15-0 run as Kansas failed to make a field goal in more than 6 minutes. The Cowboys trailed just 25-24 with 1:15 left in the half.
But perhaps halftime broke the momentum.
Kansas made 44 percent of its shots in the second half. OSU shot less than 30 percent.
McGriff l ed the way with 18 points and eight rebounds. Likekele added 10 points, four
rebounds and two assists.
Kansas' Christi an Braun scored 16 points — making four 3- pointers—as stars Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike struggled. Dotson, who dealt with foul trouble, scored 11, while Azubuike finished with six.
But it was enough to build a 27-point lead in the second half.
This time, there was no comeback.