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OSU downs North Texas
Freshmen guards contain UNT scorer White in the victory.

Obi Muonelo (right) had 17 points and seven rebounds as OSU knocked off North Texas on Saturday. ZACH GRAY / For the Tulsa World
 
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 11/22/2009  2:20 AM
Last Modified: 11/22/2009  8:07 AM

 STILLWATER — To fully appreciate the backstory behind Oklahoma State's 82-68 basketball victory over North Texas, repeat these words over and over: Josh White. Josh White. Josh White.

"I know Ray Penn and I know Fred Gulley are sick and tired of hearing his name because they have heard his name over a million times the last two days," OSU basketball coach Travis Ford said.

White is a North Texas point guard (and brother of former Oklahoma guard Quannas White) who torched OSU for 48 points the past two seasons. He owns a 25.3 career scoring average against Big 12 foes. He dropped a career-high 35 points on Texas-Arlington before making a Saturday visit to Stillwater. He's got game, and Ford made sure his freshman guards knew it.

"All we have told them is how great he was," Ford said. "We wanted them to feel almost inferior to the point that they wanted to prove, hey, I'm not bad as well."

Penn and Gulley took turns as the primary defender on White and they got help, when necessary. UNT coach Johnny Jones said the Cowboys sent extra defenders to get the ball out of White's hands. White came close to being shut out for only the second time in his career. He didn't score until making two free throws with 3:34 left and finished with four points.

"Josh White is a great point guard, one of the best point guards in the country," Ford said. "I really believe that. Top 10. But tonight it was our freshmen. Ray Penn and Fred Gulley did a terrific job of defending him and they did a terrific job of running our basketball team as well. I told them, though, that they set the standard very high for themselves. Now I know what they can do, so I expect it every night."

North Texas, preseason favorite in the Sun Belt Conference's West Division, has won at least 20 games each of the last three seasons and beat OSU in Denton two years ago. Ford told his players the Mean Green would give the Cowboys their first real test this season, and he was right.

UNT trailed by only two with 12:50 left. The Cowboys held the Mean Green to only six field goals the rest of the game.

Four OSU players have reached double figures in every game this season and they carried the load again. James Anderson scored 25 points. Obi Muonelo and Keiton Page produced season-highs of 17 and 13 points, respectively. Marshall Moses scored 10 points and finished one rebound shy of a third consecutive double-double.

But Ford wasn't worried about veterans. He wanted to see how rookies responded to a challenge. He goaded Penn and Gulley by saying he didn't know whether they could guard a player like White.

Penn was asked how he felt in the aftermath.

"I'm made for this," he said. "I can compete. There's no doubt in my mind. I have a lot of confidence. Some might call it cocky, but who cares. You love to face people who are just as good as you because it allows you to find out where your game is."

Jimmie Tramel 581-8389
jimmie.tramel@tulsaworld.com
By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "Cowboys pull away from North Texas," which was published on 11/21/2009.
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DavidM F, Somewhere (11/21/2009 11:10:39 PM)
OSU is rebuilding this year, and will still be in the big games.. GO GUYS..
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The Masked Assassin, Parts Unknown (11/22/2009 8:37:52 AM)
Excuses, excuses.
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FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/22/2009 3:18:42 PM)
I'm looking forward to seeing OSU play in the Big 12 this year. Like their football team I think they will surprise a lot of people.
 

 
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