Oklahoma State men's basketball rallies past Youngstown State to win NIT opener

It was the perfect storm for a bad night.

A disappointed Oklahoma State team on the road to open the NIT. An upstart Youngstown State team thriving in its own electric environment.

Somehow, the Cowboys found a way.

OSU, the top overall seed in the NIT, rallied to beat Youngstown State 69-64 late Wednesday in the Beeghly Center to extend its season at least one more game.

“Everybody’s motivated because we felt like we should have made the tournament, March Madness” OSU redshirt junior Tyreek Smith said on postgame radio. “We feel like we have to win this whole tournament to show them that we deserved to be in the tournament.”

The Cowboys (19-15) will host Eastern Washington on Sunday at a time to be determined.

But Gallagher-Iba Arena nearly never got another game this season.

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OSU trailed for the majority of the game — nearly 30 minutes — as it looked lethargic in the first half and dreadful on offense for the majority of the night.

The Cowboys still rallied from a nine-point deficit to lead 67-60 with 18 seconds left. OSU fought its way back behind its defense that held Youngstown State without a field goal for more than five minutes in the second half.

But the Penguins still nearly rallied.

Dwayne Cohill — who led all scorers with 25 points — made a layup. Then Brandon Rush stole an inbound pass and dunked with 11.4 seconds left.

But OSU super senior Caleb Asberry sealed the game making two foul shots with 9.8 seconds left.

The Cowboys had five players score in double figures and three with double-doubles. Moussa Cisse had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Smith had 13 points and 12 boards. Freshman guard Quion Williams had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Asberry and Bryce Thompson each scored 11 points apiece.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

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Cowboys’ big men wear down Penguins

OSU had a distinct advantage inside the paint with Moussa Cisse and Tyreek Smith.

And for the most part, the Cowboys dominated the key categories there.

They out-rebounded the Penguins 49-34. They had 19 offensive boards. They scored 44 points inside the paint. They had six blocks, including two by Cisse and three by Kalib Boone. Though, Cisse on postgame radio said he had four blocks and that is being reviewed.

Still, Cisse and Smith combined for 25 boards.

“Me and Tyreek were dominant on the boards, and then other guys,” Cisse said. “We started being ourselves playing defense. They were comfortable taking shots (in the first half).”

Smith was dynamic in the opening half, nearly having a double-double at halftime.

But it still took some time for OSU to find success scoring the basketball.

Cisse was in foul trouble in the opening half, but his presence alone in the second half sparked OSU’s defense to shut down the Penguins, who shot just 29% overall in the final 20 minutes.

Then he got going offensively.

In the final 8:25, Cisse scored eight of his 10 points.

And not long after he converted a lob dunk, he followed that with a strong block while pinning the basketball on the backboard on Malek Green’s layup attempt.

By then, the message was sent.

OSU’s big men were finally in control.

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Quion Williams shines off bench

OSU true freshman Quion Williams continued his late-season uptick that began against Baylor.

That night, he had a career-best 12 points and six rebounds in 29 minutes. Then he missed the regular season finale at Texas Tech due to a funeral and was not quite as effective at the Big 12 Tournament.

He was arguably at his best Wednesday night.

“To see him find a way to have success here today was very, very gratifying,” OSU coach Mike Boynton said on the radio.

The 6-foot-4 guard gave the Cowboys the lead late for the first time in more than 29 minutes of gametime with a three-point play.

He was a monster on the offensive glass, grabbing rebounds as he was often left unblocked on shots. He had several putbacks, too.

Though he struggled at times like a true freshman, he was the spark the Cowboys needed off the bench on a night that was full of frustrations.

“Quion brings the energy every day,” Cisse said. “I’m proud of him. He was playing hard, playing defense and making plays for the offensive side. He had a major impact, for sure.”

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OSU’s offense primarily a mess

For more than a month, OSU’s offense has floundered.

But it’s been especially bad the past week, starting with the Big 12 Tournament. In Kansas City, Missouri, the Cowboys made just 8 of 41 3-pointers.

Against Youngstown State, they shot just 36.6% overall and missed their first eight 3-pointers before Asberry hit a deep trey late in the opening half.

OSU finished 4 of 19 from behind the arc.

That caused OSU to have to grind offensively as it worked to play catch-up. But after the Cowboys took control in the final 6:53, they shot just one 3-pointer.

If OSU wants to make a deeper run in the NIT, it needs to get going offensively.

In the past three games, the Cowboys have made just 33.3% of their shots. They are also 12 of 60 from deep, a dismal 20%.

Jacob Unruh covers college sports for The Oklahoman. You can send your story ideas to him at junruh@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @jacobunruh. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State basketball beats Youngstown State in NIT opener