Field Level Media
Jan 23, 2019
Freshman Jamal Bieniemy scored a season-high 17 points, including several critical baskets late in the second half, to lift Oklahoma to a 70-61 win at Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.
Bieniemy, making just his second start of the season, was 6 of 6 from the field, half of those coming from behind the 3-point line, with no turnovers. He also had three steals.
Bieniemy scored on a driving layup with 10:29 remaining to tie the game at 54-54, the first tie since the game's first two minutes.
Then with little more than three minutes remaining and the Sooners up two, Oklahoma's Rashard Odomes drove to the basket but missed the layup. He fought for the offensive rebound with two Cowboys as he fell to the floor, however, and ultimately tipped the ball to Bieniemy at the top of the key.
Bieniemy quickly sank the open 3-pointer to give the Sooners some breathing room.
Oklahoma State didn't score in the final five-plus minutes as Oklahoma scored the game's final 10 points.
Brady Manek added 15 points for the Sooners (14-5, 3-4 Big 12) while Jamuni McNeace added 13 off the bench for his highest-scoring game since late November.
Lindy Waters III led the Cowboys (8-11, 2-5) with 20 points but struggled with foul trouble for much of the second half.
Earlier, however, the Sooners quickly found themselves in a big hole as the Cowboys jumped out to a 28-9 lead less than nine minutes into the game.
Oklahoma State made eight of its first 10 shots and hit 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point line in that span.
Early on, the Sooners tried to match the Cowboys from the perimeter and struggled from outside as the deficit grew. Oklahoma started just 1 of 6 from behind the arc before focusing on getting to the basket to get back into the game by halftime, trailing by just six at 37-31.
After starting 3 of 12 from the field, the Sooners finished the game 23 of 40, shooting 50 percent from the floor overall.
The Cowboys were just 14 of 42 from the floor after their hot start.
--Field Level Media