Oklahoma State Basketball: Takeaways from hard-fought win over UTA

Oklahoma State Basketball opens the season with a solid win over UT Arlington.

Over the past 48 hours, there have been numerous notable programs that have had their season openers cancelled. However, one of the most anticipated players in CBB made his debut for Oklahoma State. In one of the better matchups of the Wednesday slate, Oklahoma State would travel to play UT-Arlington Wednesday afternoon.

Both teams would come out of the gates very slow as through the first five minutes, both teams combined for just four made field goals. It doesn’t help with the Cowboys shooting 0-8 from three to begin the game.

An early impression from this game has been the energy from Tyler Junior College transfer Shahada Wells. One of the most coveted players in the NJCAA last season started out with four early points and a steal that would lead to a foul.

The Cowboys would continue their slow start as both team’s defenses dominated throughout the first ten minutes of the game. All-Sun Belt Guard David Azore would get his second foul early and sit for quite some time. Avery Anderson would get the Cowboys’ first three-pointer of the game to fall with just under ten to go as UTA would keep the lead early.

Cunningham would welcome himself as a bucket near the rim and a three-pointer would tie the game at 16.

#2 ranked recruit in last year’s class was making a hometown return as he grew up and played his basketball in the Arlington area at Bowie High School.

Standing at 6’8, Cunningham has all the tools to be an elite all-around player. His size, combined with his confidence in mid-range and driving ability helps him on the offensive end. He displays this confidence in the video above. On defense, his length and hustle make him above average in that category.

UTA could not let the Cowboys get away as Oklahoma State would take a five lead heading into half. Cunningham would lead the Pokes with 12, while UTA was led by  Wells with eight and three rebounds.

F Keylan Boone would start to play really well for the Cowboys as his three-pointer five minutes into the second half would give them their first double-digit lead of the game, 45-35. However, the Mavericks would continue to hang around and not let Oklahoma State pull away. A quick 7-0 run would cut the Cowboys lead to four.

Wells would continue to come up big as a clutch three-pointer and steal would give UTA a lead as all the momentum would be in favor of the Mavericks.

It took veteran Isaac Likekele till ten minutes left in the game to get his first bucket of the game. After taking just one shot through the first half, a couple of buckets from Likekele would give the Cowboys a five-point cushion just under the six-minute mark. A deep three from Cal Baptist transfer from Ferron Flavors would get the Pokes back up two possessions.

A costly Cunningham late would give UTA life with a Wells bucket, which would cut the deficit to four with less than a minute to play. Both teams would begin to play the fouling game. Even if free throws were the Achilles’ heel, they did enough to outlast a heroic effort from Wells and UTA, 75-68.

In a game where it was expected that Azore would lead the Mavericks, it was Wells that would continue to fill up the sheet. The former JUCO All-American led the team with 21 points, five rebounds, and five steals on a terrific 9-13 from the field. This was a game that showcased Wells can very well be a household name and end up on the All-Sun Belt with more play like what was featured Wednesday.