STILLWATER, Okla. - When the going got tough, Ricky Council IV got going.
Wichita State’s second-year guard scored 12 of his team-high 18 points in the final 10 minutes to help the Shockers rally from behind for a 60-51 road victory over Oklahoma State on Wednesday evening at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The Shockers (6-1) trailed 45-38 near the midway point of the second half but finished the game on a 22-6 run. Council made five-straight shots during that stretch.
WSU scored its second road victory over a major conference foe in less than a week, having toppled Mizzou of the SEC last Friday in Columbia.
It was also the Shockers’ third-straight win in Stillwater going back to 2017. Prior to that, WSU teams had been 2-15 all-time on the OSU campus.
OSU (6-2 and receiving votes in the latest Coaches Poll) missed its last nine field goal attempts and saw a five-game winning streak snapped.
Council went 7-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-3 from distance, to go with seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. The Shockers were an incredible +30 with Council on the floor.
Morris Udeze was another second-half catalyst, scoring seven of his 13 points over the final 10:13.
Clarence “Monzy” Jackson added a season-high 10 points in just 17 minutes off the bench.
Craig Porter Jr. grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and stacked up four assists and three steals.
Avery Anderson III led the Cowboys with 17 points, while Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe supplied 10 rebounds.
WSU tallied 10 steals and induced 21 OSU turnovers. It was the third time in seven games this year that the Shockers have forced 20+ giveaways and the fifth time that they’ve held an opponent to less than 60 points.
Helped by Council and Jackson, WSU’s bench outscored OSU’s 34-12. The Cowboys had entered the game as the national leader in bench points (41.3).
The Shockers outshoot the hosts 42.1 to 37.5 percent. OSU also went 9-of-19 at the foul line.
In a game of runs, OSU scored the first 10 points in each half but also struggled for long stretches against WSU’s zone defense.
The Shockers dug out of a 10-0 hole with a 17-4 spurt and led by a basket at halftime, 31-29. Jackson led the charge with eight points.
WSU didn’t score its first second-points until the 12:48-mark, at which point OSU had surged back in front 39-31.
Council’s three with 9:22 to play turned the tide. His high-archer off the glass gave WSU the lead for good (49-48) with 5:21 left and opened up a stretch in which he accounted for nine-straight Shocker points. He added a three just over a minute later.
WSU clung to a 52-51 lead near the 2:00-mark when Council stuck a pull-up jumper from 15 feet.
On the next possession, Council’s teammates cleared out the lane and he blew by his defender 1-on-1 for a layup and a two-possession lead.