STILLWATER — Shades of Oakland last season or Charlotte a few seasons back, the Cowboys crumbled to a mid-major.
Oklahoma State fell to Southern Illinois 61-60 on Thursday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys held a 13-point lead with about 16 minutes to play and led by 10 with 6:43 to play before things crumbled.
It came down to free-throw shooting. The Cowboys played well defensively, holding a team that shot 43% from 3 on Monday to 29%, but the Cowboys were just 50% from the foul line, missing three in the final minute.
Trailing 59-51 with four minutes to play, the Salukis ripped off a quick 7-0 run where the Cowboys were 0-for-5 from the field.