Last Second Shot Sinks Shockers

WICHITA – Cade Cunningham hit a game-winning shot with 9.8 seconds remaining to lift Oklahoma State over Wichita State, 67-64, Saturday afternoon at Charles Koch Arena.

Tyson Etienne scored 19 points to lead the Shockers, who fell to 1-2 on the year. Alterique Gilbert (14) and Morris Udeze (10) also finished in double-figures.

Isaac Likekele paced Oklahoma State (6-0 and receiving votes in both national polls) with 14 points, and Rondel Walker added 13.

Helped by stalwart defense from Dexter Dennis, the Shockers held Cunningham – a 6-8 freshman guard and consensus preseason All-American — to half of his season scoring average – 10 points on 11 shots.

Shot No. 11 was a back-breaker for Wichita State, which moments earlier had tied the game on a pair of Udeze free throws.

Oklahoma State put the ball in the hands of Cunningham, who pulled up off the dribble from the left wing and sank a contested three to give the Cowboys a 67-64 lead with just under 10 seconds to go.

Dennis had a chance to force overtime on the opposite end, but his three-point try struck the iron just ahead of the buzzer.

Oklahoma State’s win continues a trend. The visiting team has won all four meetings between the two teams over the last five years. The Shockers took back-to-back at Gallagher-Iba in 2017 and 2019, while the Cowboys won at INTRUST Bank Arena in 2016.

Oklahoma State won the rebounding battle, 44-33, and outscored Wichita State 17-3 on fast break opportunities.

The Shockers made 17-of-22 free throws but shot just 36 percent from the field. They were a frigid 5-of-26 from three (.192) and missed 18 of their last 20 attempts.

Oklahoma State shot just under 42 percent and was 7-of-26 from distance and 10-of-16 at the foul line.

The Shockers played for the first time with a full roster. All 16 players dressed. Still, the rust was evident for many of them. OSU held a 38-5 advantage in bench points.

Junior guard Craig Porter and redshirt freshman forward Josaphat Bilau saw their first action in a Shocker uniform. Bilau scored his first points early in the second half on a pick-and-roll feed from Etienne. Porter banked two assists in five turnover-free minutes.

WSU also played in front of fans for the first time (525 total) after two games behind closed doors.