OSU basketball notebook: Gardner's dunk
BY KELLY HINES World Sports Writer
Sunday, December 23, 2012
12/23/12 at 6:34 AM
Late in Saturday's game, Kirby Gardner got a steal and ran the length of the floor. Instead of laying it up, the 6-foot-2 guard surprisingly dunked the ball with one hand.
"I thought about (dunking) it the whole time," Gardner said. "That's why I kind of bobbled it."
Sharp shooting: Phil Forte's six 3-pointers against Tennessee Tech are the most by an Oklahoma State player this season. He has had at least two 3-pointers in five straight games and has made at least one in every game.
"My teammates do a great job of trying to find me when I'm open," Forte said. "They've got a lot of belief in me, so it's easy to shoot when you have teammates that really trust you."
Smart play: With four steals, Marcus Smart now has 30 on the season, surpassing former Cowboy Keiton Page for the fifth-most by an OSU freshman.
Stat check: OSU has started 10-1 or better in eight of the past 12 seasons, and 10 of the past 16.
The Cowboys allowed 19 points in the first half, the fourth time in five games that the opponent has scored fewer than 20 points before halftime.
Tennessee Tech had no assists in the first half. The last time an OSU opponent had no assists in a half was when Texas failed to record an assist in the second half on Jan. 21, 2008.
OSU's 11 3-pointers are a season-high and the most since 11 against Kansas last season in Stillwater.
Familiar face: Tennessee Tech point guard Jeremiah Samarrippas scored 11 points against OSU, a year after finishing with three points and eight assists while playing for SMU in a double-overtime loss to the Cowboys.
Lunt sighting: Among those in attendance was OSU quarterback Wes Lunt, who sat courtside.
Up next: The last of six straight home games, OSU hosts Gonzaga at 5 p.m. Dec. 31 to conclude nonconference play. The game is sold out after donor T. Boone Pickens purchased the remaining tickets, which were then given away to fans.
