OSU VS KU GAMER

Love and basketball were in the air at Gallagher-Iba Arena as Oklahoma State took on the Kansas Jayhawks in a heated Valentine’s Day match up.  

The Valentine’s Day date left OSU broken-hearted, losing 87-76. The No.5 Jayhawks also broke the Cowboys’ five-game winning streak. 

The game felt as if it was back and forth despite OSU (16-10 overall, 7-6 Big 12) having  the lead for the majority of the first half. However, after a Gradey Dick buzzer beater three pointer the Jayhawks went into the locker room with a 39-37 lead. 

KU (21-5, 9-4) came out after halftime with fresh legs and hunger to score. Dick, a freshman, made back-to-back threes to give the Jayhawks some separation. The Cowboys trailed 47-58 five minutes into the second half and that gap remained for the rest of the game.

The Cowboy crowd started to clear out with a minute left after Kansas’ Jalen Wilson got an offensive rebound and converted an and-one dagger to put the game away 81-71. At the beginning of the night, the arena was covered in America’s brightest orange with Jayhawk blue speckled throughout but by the end it was a flood of orange heading toward the exits. 

The Jayhawks had 26 assists compared to the Cowboys’ 9. OSU had trouble holding on to the ball with 15 turnovers. Kansas took advantage, grabbing 16 points off of turnovers.

Cupid's arrow was not the only deadeye this Valentine’s Day. The Cowboy’s John Michael Wright had 18 points all of which were three pointers. OSU’s Kalib Boone set a new season high with 27 beating the previous high of 25 that he set against TCU at the beginning of this month.

The Jayhawks had a sharpshooter of their own. Dick tied the Jayhawk season high with 26 points. He had four three pointers and seemed almost untouchable in the second half.

“When I have an open shot, I’m gonna take it,” Dick said. 

Jayhawks coach Bill Self was impressed with Dick’s performance. 

“He is the best freshman shooter I’ve ever had hands down,” Self said. 

Sources

Gradey Dick Freshman Kansas Jayhawk 

Bill Self Kansas Jayhawk Coach