OSU Dominates No. 25 UCF 87-76 in Defensive Masterclass

Steve Lutz marveled over an unfamiliar sight.

OSU point guard Jaylen Curry stole a pass, jolted to the hoop to finalize a transition layup with relative ease. But it wasn’t the steal-and-score that made Lutz’s eyes gleam. It was Curry’s defensive heroics that made Lutz’s beam with joy. 

Oklahoma State defeated No. 25 UCF 87-76 on Tuesday at Gallagher-Iba Arena, and for perhaps the first time this season, the Cowboys were beneficiaries of sound defense. Curry’s defensive highlight was merely a personification of the night. 

As UCF coach Johnny Dawkins swiftly called a timeout, GIA jolted into a frenzy. The roar of the crowd bellowed around the home team as OSU fans praised a sight Lutz had longed for over the season’s course. In turn, Lutz was the first to greet Curry in the team huddle with a crisp high-five and pat on the back.

“I thought that set the tone for us,” Lutz said. “I thought that it was there (from the start). When (UCF) was getting ready to shoot 3s, we were there.

“I thought they embraced Sunday’s practice and Monday’s practice from the defensive side, from the effort side, from the physicality side, from the toughness side, and it carried over to tonight’s game.”

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OSU cruised to an early 10-point advantage, attaining a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. 

By the end of the first half, OSU held UCF to 31% shooting, including a 7% clip from 3. The Knights made a couple late runs, but the OSU's defense stood tall. In the end, Cowboys (13-2, 1-1 Big 12) held UCF to a 21.2% clip from 3.

Cowboys’ center Parsa Fallah, who eclipsed 1,000 career points in OSU's loss to Texas Tech on Saturday, led all scorers with 24. Guard Anthony Roy had 15 of his own, while Vyctorious Miller totaled 13. 

But it was point guard Kanye Clary who served as OSU’s facilitator, dazzling from the moment of the opening tip-off.

Nearing triple-double territory, Clary totaled 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. And not visible on the stat sheet was the multitude of key defensive plays he initiated. Pressure, shedding off ball screens and visible, effective communication among his teammates. All of it, Lutz said, complemented a holistic defensive outing.

And that allowed OSU to go on a 12-1 run from the 8:01 mark in the second half to 2:13 remaining in the game. Eventually, the Cowboys shot the dagger with a step-back 3 from Roy with less than a minute to go, tarnishing the Knights’ (12-2, 1-1 Big 12) hopes of a comeback. 

“Coach just put me in position to get downhill, use my speed,” Clary said. “He gave me the opportunity to shoot the ball, and today, shots went in.”

With the win, OSU clinched its first Big 12 and ranked victory of the season. A pivotal step in bolstering an NCAA Tournament-worthy resume come March.

But the Cowboys can’t settle there. Lutz acknowledged that postgame.

Awaiting the Cowboys is a clash with No. 3 Iowa State on Saturday at 3 p.m. Shortly after, dates with TCU on the road, Baylor and a reunion with the Cyclones. Lutz has profusely highlighted the Big 12’s depth. Which this season, might be more prevalent than ever.

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But Tuesday’s win was a step in the right direction. And for now, Lutz can find solace in just that.

“You’re obviously gonna have a lot more opportunities because the (Big 12) is so tough, but any time you can win in the league, you’ve got to enjoy it and you’ve got to embrace it,” Lutz said. “I’ve always believed that they had it in them to do it. I’ve always said that I believe in their character, I believe in their ability and I believe in their will to win. 

“Unfortunately, that’s not always been the top of our list. And it’s bit us in the butt when we weren’t. I felt like we had a fantastic video session Sunday, followed by a practice, and followed by a practice on Monday in which they embraced what the Big 12 is about. You cannot win in this league if you take bad shots, you do not play defense or you do not rebound the basketball. And fortunately we were able to do that tonight.”