Tulsa World: Eaton, Harris lead OSU in rout

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Eaton, Harris lead OSU in rout

Oklahoma State's James Anderson tips a rebound over Texas-San Antonio's Devin Gibson on Friday night. Anderson scored 10 points in the Cowboys' 76-57 victory. Brody Schmidt/Associated Press

By JIMMIE TRAMEL World Sports Writer
Published: 11/15/2008 2:10 AM
Last Modified: 11/15/2008 3:08 AM

STILLWATER — In Travis Ford's first game as Oklahoma State's basketball coach, senior guards Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris did something for the first time.

In three previous seasons together, Eaton and Harris never shared a game in which both scored 20 or more points on the same night. They did it Friday night, helping the Cowboys to a 76-57 victory over Texas-San Antonio at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Eaton scored a career-best 27 points (his previous best was 26 against Kansas last season) and Harris contributed 20.

"Before we even came into the season, one of the main things Coach and I talked about was our scoring was going to have to come from our leaders," Eaton said.

This game of follow the leader came at a slower pace than OSU preferred. Ford wants his team to play at warp speed, but UTSA shifted the game down a gear.

After two possessions, Ford turned to his staff and said, "This is going to be a slow game." And OSU, which fell into an 11-3 deficit at the outset, had to adjust.

"Guys were learning on the fly tonight," said Ford, who indicated that his team has been practicing so much on learning a new up-tempo system that they haven't worked on what to do when an opponent slows the pace.

Ford said he gave his X-factor players guys who can make something happen "to make us all look like good coaches when nothing is there" lots of offensive freedom.

Ford said the Cowboys probably wouldn't have won without Eaton, whom the coach called one of the country's elite point guards. Eaton scored eight straight points to get his team out of the early hole. And, when UTSA cut a 19-point margin to 10 with 5:07 left, Eaton scored OSU's next seven points.

UTSA coach Brooks Thompson, a former OSU guard, warned his team they had to keep Eaton out of the paint. "(With) nine fouls going to him, that tells you something," said Thompson.

Bugged by foul trouble, Harris was scoreless until 6:17 left in the first half. But he scored 18 points in the next 15 minutes to make Ford the third straight OSU basketball coach to win his debut.

"Strange first game," Ford said. "But it was good to get a win like that."

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

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