Oklahoma State basketball: Cowboys cruise to fifth straight win

With the roster gutted by injuries, OSU was out of sync all week, getting little court time with limited bodies.

“I was out there practicing Wednesday and Thursday,” Ford said. “And that's not good.”

But despite those scarce reps, his 20th-ranked Cowboys delivered a clean and crisp performance, dominating Portland State 81-58 for their fifth consecutive win to start the season.

And the Cowboy offense was in rare form, flowing with a continued rhythm that's routinely escaped them the past few years.

OSU opened up an early 34-16 lead, making the highlight passes and smart passes for 12 assists on its first 13 buckets. Last season, the Cowboys averaged only 11.

“Twelve assists in the first 14 minutes and I think we had nine assists in the first six minutes,” Ford happily recalled postgame.

The Cowboys finished with a season-high 19 assists, slowing down in the second half but still finishing with the second most they've had the past two years.

And much of that can be attributed to OSU's do-everything newcomer.

Despite scoring only eight points (on 3-9 shooting), Marcus Smart had a team-high and season-high nine assists, tossing no-look drop-offs and perfectly timed lobs.

“When you're looking to run a team as much as he is, it's hard to get in the flow of scoring,” Ford said of Smart. “He can make some of those (tough shots he took), but him getting those assists is what we've been looking for."