OSU notebook: Williams close to regaining old form
BY KELLY HINES World Sports Writer
Thursday, February 07, 2013
2/07/13 at 2:40 AM
For the first time this season, Brian Williams got on the scoreboard for Oklahoma State. He scored six straight points in the first half of his second game since returning from a left-wrist injury.
"He looked like the old Brian how he was scoring," coach Travis Ford said. "He's getting closer and closer to gaining more and more minutes."
Big play: The most electrifying play of the game was a reverse jam by Markel Brown on an alley-oop from Marcus Smart in the second half.
Asked where he thought the play would rank on "SportsCenter" on Wednesday night, Brown said: "Probably No. 10. They haven't been messing with me this year."
Cobbins on the boards: Forward Michael Cobbins recorded a season-high 13 rebounds against the Bears, one shy of his career best. He also was a point shy of his first double-double of the season.
In getting his rebounds, Cobbins prevented Baylor center Isaiah Austin from cleaning up, holding him to no offensive rebounds. In the first meeting 17 days ago, Austin had four.
"That was something that we put emphasis on," Cobbins said. "We went back and looked at film, and some of them weren't him being aggressive; it was him using his length to get rebounds. We just had to push him back and then go after them."
Streak continues: For the first 32 minutes of the game, OSU did not hit a 3-pointer. At that point, Phil Forte's trey extended OSU's streak of games with a 3 to 407.
After shooting 1-of-18 from beyond the arc in regulation, the Cowboys were 2-of-3 on 3-pointers in five overtime minutes.
Stat check: OSU is 2-0 this season in overtime games, having defeated Akron 69-65 in OT in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
The Cowboys outscored the Bears 19-2 in points off turnovers and 21-9 in second-chance points.
OSU grabbed 40 or more rebounds for the 10th time this season, doubling the number of 40-rebound games last season.
Wednesday marked the program's first win in the final three seconds since March 12, 2009, when OSU defeated sixth-ranked Oklahoma 71-70 with 2.3 seconds remaining.
Pierre Jackson's 11 turnovers are one shy of the school record by a Cowboy opponent. Andre Alexander of Central Connecticut State had 12 against OSU on Jan. 3, 1989.
Up next: OSU plays at Texas at 12:45 p.m. Saturday.
