Oklahoma State started its home finale off slowly against Texas A&M, but got it together and ran away with a 70-41 victory and the Big 12 title.
The Aggies (7-20, 0-16) took their only lead of the game with a three-pointer from Nick Anderson in the first minute of the game.
The Cowboys (24-3, 14-2) scored four points in the first five minutes, but finished the half with a 30-16 lead.
OSU shot 50 percent from the field with forward Joey Graham leading the team in scoring with nine points.
Anderson and Antoine Wright led the Aggies with 6 points as TAMU shot 25 percent.
“The first half was a little slow, but Texas A&M played the game the way they only had a chance to win,” OSU coach Eddie Sutton said. “They shortened the length of the game.”
Sutton credited the first half victory to good defense including 12 defensive rebounds.
“I thought, defensively, we were patient and we didn’t try to gamble,” Sutton said. “We did a good job on the defensive boards and got to halftime with a 14 point lead.”
In the opening minutes of the second half, OSU guard John Lucas scored 11 straight points, with nine points coming from three-pointers.
The Lucas explosion gave the Cowboys a 17 point lead, which would eventually turn into a 24-point lead and then up to the final 29-point lead.
Lucas led the Cowboys with 20 points and Graham finished with 14.
“The second half we played a little better offensively, but continued to play good defense,” Sutton said.
The Cowboys pulled down more rebounds than the Aggies, and Sutton said that was the difference in the game.
“The key to beating (Texas) A&M is defensive board play,” Sutton said. “They are a very good rebounding ball club, but we beat them today 34 to 25, and only had eight turnovers.”
Anderson along with guard Acie Law led the Aggies with 10 points in the contest.
TAMU coach Melvin Watkins said he was impressed with the Cowboys.
“They don’t make a lot of mistakes, they can shoot the basketball and I think they have a good chance if they stay healthy and their attitudes don’t change,” Watkins said.
Next up for the Cowboys is a trip to Dallas as the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.
The Cowboys will play their first game Friday at noon.
“I know sometimes teams put so much effort into winning the league they can’t continue to play at that level in tournament play,” Sutton said. “This team has a chance to win a lot more ball games. We might get upset in the first game of the tournament, but I think they have a chance to continue to play at this level.”
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