WOAY – In a game of runs, Oklahoma State would ultimately have the last say. The Cowboys overcame a six-point halftime deficit to defeat West Virginia 72-69 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament.
The two teams traded the lead in the final minutes of the first half, with Miles McBride recording four points in the final seconds to give the Mountaineers a 36-30 lead at halftime. Oklahoma State would then go on a run to lead by as many as 10, only for WVU to then trim the deficit to one point. The Mountaineers would have the final possession, but the clock ran out before Sean McNeil could attempt a game-tying three-pointer.
McBride led all scorers with 19 points, while Derek Culver recorded 11 points and nine rebounds despite missing significant amounts of playing time due to illness. Avery Anderson and Cade Cunningham each had 17 points for the Cowboys, who advance to the tournament semifinals.
West Virginia men’s basketball now awaits the announcement of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bracket on Sunday.