Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Florida Atlantic Owls Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

Oklahoma State will aim to maintain their unblemished record as they face off against the talented Florida Atlantic in the first round of the Charleston Classic in South Carolina on Thursday afternoon.

The victor of this matchup will advance to play the winner of the earlier game between Drake and Miami on Friday, while the losing teams will compete in the consolation round.

Both Oklahoma State and FAU have new coaches this season and are still working on implementing their respective strategies and tactics.

The Cowboys (3-0) head into the tournament fresh off an 85-78 victory against Southern Illinois at home last Thursday. Abou Ousmane and Brandon Newman, two players from their bench, each contributed 18 points to help Oklahoma State secure a 57-19 advantage in bench scoring.

Marchelus Avery added 11 points and Bryce Thompson chipped in 10 for the Cowboys. The game was tied at 49-49 with 13:33 remaining before Oklahoma State went on a 27-9 run in the next six minutes. Southern Illinois made a late push, but ultimately fell short by four points.

"We need to work on closing out games," said Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz. "We tend to stray away from playing winning basketball and put ourselves in tough situations. Some of that is due to taking poor shots or not communicating and matching up defensively."

The Owls (3-2) return to Charleston after claiming the consolation championship in the Field of 68 tournament with a 77-74 overtime win against Liberty on Saturday. Matas Vokietaitis led FAU with a career-high 17 points, while Leland Walker, Kaleb Glenn, and Niccolo Moretti each contributed 12 points.

After suffering a double-overtime loss on Friday against host Charleston, the Owls bounced back and ended a two-game losing streak.

"We will strategize on how to defend and execute our fast breaks," said FAU coach John Jakus. "Oklahoma State is a strong defensive team that applies a lot of pressure. We see this as a great opportunity to challenge ourselves and continue to progress."

PREDICTION

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Florida Atlantic Owls