Summary: Cowboys beat Gottlieb's Green Bay to start Lutz era with a win

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BOX score

STILLWATER – Steve Lutz and Doug Gottlieb were separated by just one point at halftime, but Lutz's quick pokes finished well and started the season with a win.

Oklahoma State defeated Green Bay 89-76 on Monday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena in a fast-paced game for the Pokes. OSU had 73 possessions against the Phoenix. Lutz used tempo to great effect in his first year as Cowboys coach last season at Western Kentucky and was the No. 1 team in KenPom's adjusted tempo metric. The Cowboys flew up and down the floor, resulting in 31 layup attempts and three dunks. It also helped the Cowboys force 19 turnovers, 11 of which were steals.

The Cowboys led 51-48 with 16:15 to play before going on a 14-2 run over the next five and a half minutes or so. OSU would hold roughly that 15-point lead for the rest of the game. Up to 22 points were achieved.

Bryce Thompson led the Pokes in scoring, scoring 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting. He was also 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Thompson scored 13 of his points in the second half, where he made all three of his 3-point attempts.

Abou Ousmane (16), Davonte “Devo” Davis (10) and Marchelus “Chi Chi” Avery (10) joined Thompson in double figures. Ousmane led the Pokes with eight rebounds and Khalil Brantley led the way with four assists.

Lutz wasn't happy with his defense, especially in the first half when Green Bay shot 58% from the field and 58% from 3-point range. Gottlieb's Phoenix led for about the first 12 minutes before the Cowboys went on a 9-0 run to take their first lead.

Anthony Roy, a transfer from further down in Langston, was the catalyst for Gottlieb's offense. He finished the game with 27 points and made seven of his 13 3-point attempts. Marcus Hall added 21 points and knocked down seven boards.

Jeremiah Johnson, a true freshman who once signed with OSU, was in Green Bay's starting lineup. He finished his first college game after 18 minutes and scored five points. Isaiah Miranda, who played briefly with the Cowboys last season, played just three minutes and had one dunk.

The Cowboys were able to counteract Green Bay's hot shooting performance by getting to the offensive glass, making free throws and forcing turnovers. Nineteen Phoenix turnovers led to 27 OSU points. Nineteen OSU offensive rebounds led to another 20 points for the Pokes. Then the Cowboys got to the line 24 times and made 21 shots (88%).

So the Lutz era starts with a W, and it was a good look at the fast style that Lutz implements. Game No. 2 is Sunday at 2 p.m. when the Cowboys host St. Thomas. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.