STILLWATER (AP) — Oklahoma State players got tired of hearing about North Texas guard Josh White in the days leading up to Saturday’s game.
White, a junior, was coming off a 35-point performance for the Mean Green in a double-overtime victory over Texas-Arlington last Wednesday. A year ago, White scored 23 points against the Cowboys.
This time around White didn’t have much success as OSU held the talented guard to just four points on 1-of-6 shooting in an 82-68 victory at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
White did not score his first points until 3 minutes 30 seconds remained.
“I know Ray Penn and Fred Gulley are sick and tired of hearing about Josh White,” said OSU head coach Travis Ford, whose squad improved to 3-0. “Probably a million times over the last two days, that’s all we’ve talked about. We kept telling them how great he was. We wanted them to be in a position of having to prove themselves. I kept talking about them being freshmen and that (White) was an extremely good player.
“The freshmen won this go-around, no question. Josh White is a great point guard, one of the 10 best in the country, but our young guys did a tremendous job on him in this game.”
Penn played 35 minutes with Gulley on the floor for 19. The two first-year guards combined to score four points, but had six assists and just one turnover.
White had five assists and four turnovers in 35 minutes on the floor.
“(Oklahoma State) did an excellent job of trying to force us out of our offense,” said North Texas coach Johnny Jones. “They wouldn’t allow us to get into any kind of rhythm. They did a great job in trying to take our leading scorer away with their trapping.
“Those young guards are going to be good. They have experience around them and that is going to help with their progress.”
“This is why you play Division I basketball,” said Penn, a Houston native. “I studied the scouting report and I know what I am capable of. (White) is a good player and we had a great team effort. You love to face players who are as good as you because it allows you to find out where your game is.
“This game makes me feel like I can compete at this level.”
OSU hosts Prairie View Tuesday night.
The experience around Penn includes junior James Anderson, who scored 25 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Marshall Moses scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds with Obi Muonelo adding 17 points and Keiton Page scoring 13.
The Cowboys led 44-32 at halftime as North Texas (2-1) struggled from the floor hitting just 12-of-33 shot attempts through 20 minutes.
Eric Tramiel, who led North Texas with 16 points, opened the second half with back-to-back baskets, plus a free throw, and North Texas cut the Cowboys’ lead to 45-37.
George Odufuwa’s field goal and free throw cut the lead to 50-44, and Collin Mangrum’s 3-pointer from the corner cut the deficit to four with 14 minutes to play. Mangrum’s 10-foot jumper cut the lead to 51-49 just over a minute later.
However, back-to-back buckets by Moses and the Cowboys’ lead was quickly back to six. Muonelo and Anderson each hit a pair of free throws and Oklahoma State was ahead 59-49 at the 8:30 mark.
North Texas outrebounded their hosts, 35-33, getting eight rebounds from Jacob Holmen off the bench. Odufuwa added seven boards for the Mean Green.
OKLAHOMA ST. 82, NORTH TEXAS 68
NORTH TEXAS (2-1) — Odufuwa 4-8 3-4 11, Tramiel 7-14 1-1 16, White 1-6 2-2 4, Shorter 2-5 2-2 7, Thomas 1-3 2-2 5, Johnson 2-6 5-6 9, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Thompson 2-6 0-0 5, Mangrum 2-2 0-0 5, Holmen 3-8 0-1 6, Spencer 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-59 15-18 68.
OKLAHOMA ST. (3-0) — Moses 5-9 0-1 10, Muonelo 5-13 7-8 17, Page 5-10 0-0 13, Penn 1-2 1-2 4, Anderson 8-13 6-7 25, Shaw 0-0 0-0 0, Gulley 0-1 0-0 0, Pilgrim 4-5 1-2 9, Franklin 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 30-56 15-20 82.
Halftime—Oklahoma St. 44-32. 3-Point Goals—North Texas 5-16 (Mangrum 1-1, Shorter 1-1, Thompson 1-2, Thomas 1-3, Tramiel 1-3, Johnson 0-1, Holmen 0-2, White 0-3), Oklahoma St. 7-17 (Page 3-5, Anderson 3-5, Penn 1-2, Franklin 0-1, Muonelo 0-4). Fouled Out—Tramiel. Rebounds—North Texas 35 (Holmen 8), Oklahoma St. 33 (Anderson, Moses 9). Assists—North Texas 11 (White 5), Oklahoma St. 14 (Muonelo, Penn 4). Total Fouls—North Texas 19, Oklahoma St. 18. A—10,888. A—10,888.
