STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) Kendall Smith scored 19 points – 17 in the first half – and Tavarius Shine had 17 points to lead Oklahoma State to an 83-65 victory over Charlotte Monday night, despite missing its best player.
Smith, a grad transfer from Cal State Northridge, had five of his six rebounds in the first half, and also had three assists for Oklahoma State (2-0), which had five players hit double-digit scoring for the second straight game.
Andrien White scored 18 points and Jon Davis contributed 15 points – 11 in the first half – for Charlotte (1-1).
Oklahoma State continued to play a stifling, pressuring defensive style, limiting the 49ers to just 34.6 percent shooting (18 of 52), including just 26.1 percent in the opening half (6 of 23).
Friday, in their season opener, the Cowboys held Pepperdine to just 28.3 percent shooting (13 for 46), including 18.8 percent (3 for 16) from 3-point range.
Oklahoma State played its second straight game without junior guard Jeffrey Carroll, who was again held out of the lineup ”pending the ongoing review of the men’s basketball program.”
BIG PICTURE
Charlotte: Despite shooting just 2 of 11 from the floor, Davis made 11 of 12 free throws and still represented a major bright spot for the 49ers, helping them control the pace of play when he had the ball. With 11 points at halftime, he became the 27th player in Charlotte history to hit the 1,000-point mark, and was the fifth-fastest, needing just 65 games to reach the milestone.
Oklahoma State: After scoring 10 points on 3 of 11 shooting, as well as adding eight assists and three steals, in his OSU debut on Friday, Smith looked like an elite player in this one. He’d already surpassed his opening-game totals in points and rebounds well before halftime and simply controlled the floor when he was out there, especially during the first half. He played just nine minutes in the second half.
Despite some stretches of inconsistency, Oklahoma State once again looked pretty good without Carroll. There’s no word on how long the investigative process may take and, consequently, how long he’ll be out of the lineup.
UP NEXT
Charlotte: The 49ers return home to take on the College of Charleston on Saturday.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys remain home for the third straight game, hosting Oral Roberts on Thursday night.
