Rapid reaction: Oklahoma State holds off Iowa State 78-76 in Stillwater

Markel hanging from the rafters / Photo by Chris Landsberger

By Anthony Slater – Aslater@opubco.com - @anthonyVslater

After erasing a double-digit second-half deficit, Oklahoma State held off the sharpshooting Iowa State Cyclones for a 78-76 win in Stillwater on Wednesday night. Here’s some rapid reaction:

Turning point

Travis Ford cleared the floor and handed it to his freshman floor general. In a wild back-and-forth affair (Isn’t it always with OSU-ISU hoops?), the game came down to the final play. Who had the ball last? It fell in the hands of Marcus Smart. And he delivered, weaving through the lane with a euro step and dropping through the first game-winner of his promising career, with three seconds left.

It was over when…

…A wild 1.9-second sequence, with fouls and turnovers and lengthy referee conferences, finally concluded with a missed three from Iowa State.

Star of the game – Marcus Smart

His line: 21 points (9/15 shooting), 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 1 game-winner. Not your typical freshman. But that’s been the story all year. He ran the show beautifully, picked his spots to attack and came up big in the deciding moment. Can’t ask for much more.