Second-round success
OSU Cowboys advance to the NIT quarterfinals after beating Stanford, 71-65.
STILLWATER — After the last practice ahead of what might have been final game of Jeffrey Carroll’s collegiate career, Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton pulled him aside.
“I didn’t like the way you looked,” Boynton told his senior guard. “You didn’t have the energy, and this is it for you.
“You decide how you’re going to finish.”
By the end of Monday’s 71-65 victory over Stanford to send the Cowboys to the NIT quarterfinals, Carroll made his decision clear. In what could be his final game in Stillwater, Carroll scored 26 points to lead an OSU comeback.
“I was just trying to play my game,” Carroll said. “I tried to take the shots that I take every day, so I was just trying to play my game."
Carroll was at his best early and late. He outscored the Cardinal (1916) in the first quarter, nabbing 11 points as OSU built a 19-10 lead. But he had only two points between the second and third quarters, coming on a well-designed dunk.
After three quarters, OSU (21-15) trailed. Similar to what he did with
Carroll, Boynton delivered a message to rally his players before the fourth began, telling them to improve their sense of urgency with their season in the balance.
“We just didn’t play like the season could be over,” Boynton said. “We had 10 minutes to figure out whether we wanted to stay together again as a group, and those guys certainly responded to that.”
Carroll did so in particular, returned to his scoring ways with 13 points. An open 3-pointer with 7:18 to play gave OSU a 53-51 lead, one of his five makes from deep to match a career high. Afterward, he raced down the court, waving his arms to amp an inspired GIA crowd.
Carroll’s passing was sharp, too. He slung the ball toward an open Kendall Smith in the corner, knowing the result before it happened. He turned and pointed three fingers skyward as Smith, who finished with 19 points, nailed the 3-pointer. As the fans again erupted, Carroll blew them a kiss.
“When we're both playing at a really high level, it's a matchup problem for the other team,” Smith said. “When we're going on the offensive end, it lights a fire under both of us.”
It might be the final home game of both of their careers. OSU had to wait on the results of Monday night’s USC-Western Kentucky game to learn the site of its quarterfinal game.
Should GIA host another game, Carroll, Smith and their fellow seniors will again get the shot to connect with the crowd, while also having the opportunity for a program-record 16th home victory.
It would be another accomplishment for a senior class that has consistently simplified Boynton’s first year at the helm.
“It’s what you kind of hope to get from your seniors at this time of year,” Boynton said. “You’ve got to really lean on those guys.
“There’s a different level of understanding of how precious this moment is . ... You never can replicate the college basketball experience.”