No. 12 seed UCF opens second half on 18-1 run, beats 13-seed Oklahoma State 77-62 in Big 12 opener
AP
Mar 12, 2024
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Ibrahima Diallo had 17 points and 11 rebounds, C.J. Walker added 12 points and No. 12 seed UCF Knights used an 18-1 run to start the second half and roll to a 77-62 victory over No. 13 seed Oklahoma State Cowboys to open the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday.
Darius Johnson also had 11 points for the Knights (17-14), who led 35-31 at halftime before cruising into Wednesday's second-round game against 20th-ranked BYU, another Big 12 newcomer and the No. 4 seed in the tournament.
Javon Small hit five 3-pointers and scored 21 points for the Cowboys (12-20), who finished the season on a six-game losing streak. Eric Dailey Jr. added 12 points and Brandon Garrison had 10.
UCF and Oklahoma State both got off to dreadful shooting starts, combining to go 5 for 25 from the field, and things never got a whole lot better even as the Knights built a 35-31 halftime lead in their first ever game in the Big 12 Tournament.
Their game plan was clear: use their size advantage to their benefit.
The 7-foot Diallo had 11 points and seven rebounds by halftime, and the 6-8 Walker and 6-10 Omar Payne were active around the rim whenever the fifth-year senior from Senegal was able to catch a breather on the bench.
UCF stuck with that plan in the second half, when Diallo and Walker joined Jaylin Sellers in scoring the first 13 points to stretch the lead to 48-31 with 15:15 to go. And when the Cowboys finally got a free throw from Dailey, the Knights scored five more to extend their run to 18-1 before Dailey finally got Oklahoma State's first field goal of the half with 11:50 remaining.
By that point, the Knights had pushed their lead past 20 and were coasting into the Big 12 tourney's second round.
UP NEXT
Oklahoma State must decide whether to keep Mike Boynton, who has three 20-win seasons but only one NCAA Tournament berth in seven seasons leading the Cowboys. They've also had just one winning record in conference play.
UCF has a quick turnaround, facing BYU in the first of four second-round games Wednesday morning.
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1st Half
OKST
Cowboys
31
UCF
Knights
35
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
(Knights gains possession)
19:47
Javon Small turnover (bad pass) (Shemarri Allen steals)
19:23
Ibrahima Diallo turnover (double dribble)
18:58
+2
Brandon Garrison makes two point jump shot
2-0
18:43
Ibrahima Diallo misses two point layup
18:41
Ibrahima Diallo offensive rebound
18:37
+2
Ibrahima Diallo makes two point layup
2-2
18:23
Ibrahima Diallo blocks Jamyron Keller's two point layup
18:21
Jaylin Sellers defensive rebound
18:17
Quion Williams blocks Jaylin Sellers's two point layup
18:15
Javon Small defensive rebound
18:07
Brandon Garrison misses two point jump shot
18:05
Ibrahima Diallo defensive rebound
17:56
Brandon Garrison blocks Ibrahima Diallo's two point layup
17:54
Ibrahima Diallo offensive rebound
17:53
Brandon Garrison shooting foul (Ibrahima Diallo draws the foul)
17:53
Ibrahima Diallo misses regular free throw 1 of 2
17:53
+1
Ibrahima Diallo makes regular free throw 2 of 2
2-3
17:49
Brandon Garrison misses two point layup
17:47
Ibrahima Diallo defensive rebound
17:26
Brandon Garrison blocks Shemarri Allen's two point layup
17:24
Brandon Garrison defensive rebound
17:18
C.J. Walker blocks Javon Small's two point layup
17:16
Cowboys offensive rebound
16:58
Brandon Garrison turnover (out of bounds)
16:38
Darius Johnson misses two point pullup jump shot
16:36
Eric Dailey Jr. defensive rebound
16:26
C.J. Walker blocks Quion Williams's two point layup
16:24
Shemarri Allen defensive rebound
16:09
C.J. Walker misses two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot
16:07
Eric Dailey Jr. defensive rebound
15:57
Jamyron Keller misses two point layup
15:55
Quion Williams offensive rebound
15:50
John-Michael Wright misses three point jump shot
15:48
Omar Payne defensive rebound
15:41
John-Michael Wright blocks Darius Johnson's two point layup
15:39
Eric Dailey Jr. defensive rebound
15:34
+2
Quion Williams makes two point alley-oop dunk (Jamyron Keller assists)
4-3
15:19
Omar Payne misses two point hook shot
15:17
Eric Dailey Jr. defensive rebound
15:11
Javon Small misses three point jump shot
15:09
Shemarri Allen defensive rebound
14:50
+3
C.J. Walker makes three point jump shot (Darius Johnson assists)
4-6
14:48
Quion Williams shooting foul (C.J. Walker draws the foul)
14:48
TV timeout
14:48
C.J. Walker misses regular free throw 1 of 1
14:48
Eric Dailey Jr. defensive rebound
14:24
Jarius Hicklen misses three point jump shot
14:22
Brandon Garrison offensive rebound
14:14
Eric Dailey Jr. misses two point jump shot
14:12
Omar Payne defensive rebound
14:01
Omar Payne misses three point jump shot
13:59
Eric Dailey Jr. defensive rebound
13:52
+2
Eric Dailey Jr. makes two point dunk (Javon Small assists)
6-6
13:24
Jaylin Sellers misses two point jump shot
13:22
C.J. Walker offensive rebound
13:21
Eric Dailey Jr. shooting foul (C.J. Walker draws the foul)
13:21
+1
C.J. Walker makes regular free throw 1 of 2
6-7
13:21
+1
C.J. Walker makes regular free throw 2 of 2
6-8
13:02
Javon Small turnover (bad pass) (Antwann Jones steals)
12:36
+2
Ibrahima Diallo makes two point hook shot
6-10
12:09
+3
Jarius Hicklen makes three point jump shot (Jamyron Keller assists)
9-10
11:45
+2
Ibrahima Diallo makes two point layup
9-12
11:38
Javon Small turnover (bad pass) (Ibrahima Diallo steals)
11:28
+3
Darius Johnson makes three point jump shot (Jaylin Sellers assists)
9-15
11:25
Knights 30 second timeout
11:25
TV timeout
10:56
John-Michael Wright misses three point jump shot
10:54
Cowboys offensive rebound
10:36
Cowboys turnover (shot clock violation)
10:36
Jarius Hicklen blocks Antwann Jones's two point layup
10:34
Cowboys defensive rebound
10:15
Javon Small misses two point jump shot
10:13
Cowboys offensive rebound
10:09
+2
Quion Williams makes two point turnaround fadeaway jump shot
11-15
9:49
Ibrahima Diallo misses two point hook shot
9:47
Javon Small defensive rebound
9:39
Ibrahima Diallo shooting foul (Eric Dailey Jr. draws the foul)