STILLWATER, Okla. – Yale got another big game from
Paul Atkinson and nearly knocked off another power conference foe before dropping a hard-fought 64-57 decision to Oklahoma State before a nervous crowd of 7,260 at the historic Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Atkinson posted a double-double to pace the Bulldogs, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The game featured six ties in a close second half.
Oklahoma State's Lindy Waters III was the difference down the stretch. He scored eight of his game-high 19 points over the final 2:17 as the Cowboys remained undefeated at 4-0.
Azar Swain (11 points) and
Matthue Cotton (11 points) also scored in double figures for Yale.
Eric Monroe had eight points, while
Jordan Bruner contributed six points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
The Bulldogs limited the Cowboys to just 36.4 percent shooting from the field.
"I thought we did a great job with our half-court defense," said
James Jones, The Joel E. Smilow, Class of 1954 Head Coach of the Bulldogs. "They hurt us in transition, but in the half court we were very solid."
The Cowboys led 27-23 after 20 minutes, but Yale opened the second half with a 6-2 run to tie the score.
The final tie was at 48 with 6:54 left. The Bulldogs had opportunities in the final minutes, but Waters III made the big plays down the stretch.
"We were not efficient enough late in the game," Jones said. "We need to learn from this down the road."
With the Cowboys featuring one of the top shot blockers in the nation in Yor Anei, Yale relied on its perimeter game, attempting 31 three-pointers and making nine.
"Our plan was to get the ball inside, drag the defense down and then kick it out," Atkinson said. "We got a lot of good looks. They just didn't go down."
Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton came away impressed with the Bulldogs.
"They're a really, really good team, like we said all along," he said. "They presented some challenges because they could throw the ball inside, and they had guys who could make shots."
Yale, which has played three of its four games on the road, returns to the friendly confines of the John J. Lee Amphitheater to host Siena on Wednesday night. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.
