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http://www.soonersports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31000&ATCLID=209407031
QUICK PREVIEW
Looking for a regular season Bedlam sweep, Oklahoma (18-7, 7-5) travels to Stillwater to take on Oklahoma State (16-8, 4-7) on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Sooners, who fell out of the AP Top 25 this week but are No. 25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, beat the Cowboys 88-76 on Jan. 27 in Norman. They are coming off a 68-60 home loss to Texas Tech on Wednesday. OSU has lost its last five games and six of its last seven after a 15-2 start. The Cowboys are coming off an 87-68 defeat at Texas on Tuesday.
ON THE AIR
Saturday’s contest will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KRXO 107.7 FM "The Franchise" in Oklahoma City; KTBZ 1430 AM in Tulsa) with Toby Rowland and Mike Houck calling the action. The game will be televised by ESPN2 with Jon Sciambi, Fran Fraschilla and Holly Rowe announcing.
THE SERIES
Oklahoma has won 12 of the last 18 overall meetings with Oklahoma State and holds a 130-95 all-time series advantage. The Sooners, who are 42-62 all-time in Stillwater, are going for their fourth regular season sweep of the Cowboys in the last nine years. OU has lost four straight in Stillwater (fell 84-79 in overtime last season).
PREVIEWING OKLAHOMA STATE
Oklahoma State enters Saturday’s game 16-8 overall and 4-7 in Big 12 play (eighth place). The Cowboys are 10-2 at home, with their two defeats coming in their last two games there (76-70 vs. Baylor and 98-97 vs. Iowa State in triple overtime). They have lost five in a row and six of their last seven after starting 15-2 and being ranked as high as No. 5 in the AP poll. In Big 12 play, OSU ranks fifth in the league in scoring offense (76.7 ppg), eighth in scoring defense (76.3 ppg), fifth in field goal percentage (.435), seventh in 3-point field goal percentage (.337), fourth in free throw percentage (.724) and seventh in rebounding margin (-3.1/game).
On the season, 2013 Big 12 Player of the Year Marcus Smart ranks third in the league in scoring (17.5 ppg), seventh in assists (4.3 apg) and first in steals (2.3 spg). However, Saturday’s game will mark the second of three games Smart will miss due to a Big 12 suspension. Fellow preseason All-Big 12 pick Markel Brown, a senior, ranks fifth in the league with his 16.7 points a contest to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Junior forward Le’Bryan Nash averages 14.8 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds while shooting .540 from the field. Sophomore Phil Forte averages 12.2 points and ranks second in the Big 12 by shooting .462 from long range. He was 6-for-6 from behind the arc off the bench in the first meeting (scored 20 points).
The Cowboys are under the direction of sixth-year head coach Travis Ford (120-71 record).