STILLWATER – Oklahoma State showed flashes of promise in its preseason exhibition opener, but a second-half scoring drought and a steady parade to the free throw line helped New Mexico pull away for a 99-89 victory Sunday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Freshman guard Anthony Felesi led five Cowboys in double figures with 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Junior center JuliusHalaifonua added 16 points, while Luka Bogavac and Benjamin Ahmed contributed 13 apiece.
Jake Hall paced New Mexico, the preseason favorite to win the Mountain West Conference, with 31 points, including six 3-pointers, and Fynn Lastring added 16.
Both teams scored exactly 63 points from the field, but the Lobos did more damage at the foul line, converting 29-of-35 attempts in the second half and 36-of-48 overall, compared to OSU's 26-of-34.
OSU trailed 42-38 at halftime but opened the second half with a 14-6 push. Halaifonua supplied a three-point play and a 3-pointer during the surge, and Felesi's layup gave the Cowboys a 52-48 advantage with 16:13 remaining.
New Mexico answered with 12 consecutive points while holding OSU scoreless for nearly four minutes. The Lobos moved in front for good and eventually stretched their lead to 76-60 with 9:38 remaining.
The Cowboys responded with nine unanswered points, including a Halaifonua 3-pointer and two Jacob Walker free throws, to trim the deficit to 76-69 with 7:40 to play. They would get no closer.
OSU held a 45-35 rebounding advantage, including 22-11 on the offensive glass and outscored the visitors 27-12 on second-chance opportunities.
Ahmed was particularly effective on the interior, making 5-of-6 field goal attempts and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds, five on the offensive end. The sophomore scored nine of his 13 points before halftime.
The Cowboys received 59 points from their reserves, led by Felesi, who also contributed six rebounds. Bogavac, a North Carolina transfer, knocked down three 3-pointers, while Sam Houston transfer Kashie Natt overcame early foul trouble to finish with 10 points.
Eleven Cowboys saw action, and 10 logged at least 12 minutes. OSU played without frontcourt contributors Parsa Fallah, Jordan Burks and Mekhi Ragland due to various ailments. Starting point guard Kanye Clary recorded four first-half assists before being sidelined by injury for the entire second half.
Hall set the tone early for New Mexico, scoring the game's first eight points before OSU countered with a 13-0 run. Felesi scored six during that stretch, and Ahmed capped it with a putback for a 13-8 Cowboy lead.
Hall – the Mountain West Conference preseason player of the year -- quickly regained the hot hand, scoring 20 points in the game's first 10 minutes. He finished the opening half with 21 points on 6-of-6 shooting, including four 3-pointers, to help the Lobos take a four-point lead into the break.
New Mexico shot 49.1% from the field for the game, including 9-of-21 from beyond the arc. Oklahoma State finished at 40%, connecting on 7-of-27 3-point attempts.
The Cowboys were whistled for 22 second-half fouls and 33 overall. Halaifonua, Latrell Allmond and Walker all fouled out.
Sunday's loss snapped OSU's 57-game home exhibition winning streak, its first such setback in Gallagher-Iba Arena since a Nov. 22, 1988, loss to the Soviet National Team. The first 56 victories in that streak came against a mixture of all-star teams and small-college opponents.
The game marked the beginning of a two-year exhibition series between OSU and New Mexico, which will continue next fall in Albuquerque.
Up Next: The Cowboys have two more preseason tuneups before the Nov. 2 regular-season opener against Incarnate Word.
OSU hosts Tulsa at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, as part of Homecoming festivities. Admission to the Gallagher-Iba Arena exhibition will again be free. The Cowboys then travel to Wisconsin on Tuesday, Oct. 27, for their final preseason test.
