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November 29, 2009

OSU men beat Utah for Las Vegas crown

Justin Hite

Whatever Oklahoma State guard Obi Muonelo needed to get over his struggles from the field, he must have found it in Las Vegas.

Muonelo got in a rhythm early — hitting all five shots he took from the field in the first half — and went 5-for-5 and scored 17 points to help lift Oklahoma State past Utah 77-55 for the Las Vegas Invitational Championship on Saturday.

Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford said on his radio interview that Saturday night was as good as his Cowboys have played all season.

“It was the best 40 minutes overall that we’ve played. I though our defense was terrific,” Ford said. “…We by no means want to be our best right now or want to peak right now, we want to do our best to survive.”

Muonelo shot 42.8 percent from the field and 23 percent from behind the arc before heading to Vegas.

The Cowboys (6-0) built an early lead against Utah thanks to two double-digits runs in the first half. OSU put together a 17-0 run after scoring on six-straight possessions in the first half and an 11-0 run in just three minutes near the end of the first half.

The two streaks lifted OSU to an 18-point halftime lead.

The lead grew to 24 points at its highest point and the Cowboys kept it there.

“I’m very proud of our basketball team to be able to turn round in less than 24 hours and prepare for a good, experience Utah team,” Ford said.

James Anderson led all scorers with 26 points, while Marshall Moses finished in double figures with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Muonelo, Anderson and Ray Penn were all named to the All-Tournament team. Anderson was named most valuable player after scoring 45 points in two games played in Las Vegas.

Not only did the Cowboys shoot effectively from the field, but also turned in their best defensive performance of the season.

OSU held Utah (4-3) to a season-low in points allowed and 33 percent from the field — the second-lowest total for a Cowboy opponent this year.