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  Saturday, Jan. 15 4:00pm ET
Gottlieb keeps racking up assists
 
  RECAP | BOX SCORE

WACO, Texas (AP) -- Doug Gottlieb can dish it out for 14th-ranked Oklahoma State. He can also take a shot when needed.

Gottlieb added seven more assists to his NCAA-leading total Saturday, and also had 13 points as the Cowboys (13-1, 2-0 Big 12) won 56-41 at Baylor on his 24th birthday.

"He's such a marvelous passer and is able to penetrate. Today when he penetrated, sometimes they didn't pick him up and he ended up getting some layups," Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton said.

Gottlieb made 6-of-7 shots and led the Cowboys in scoring for only the second time in his college career. Five of his baskets were inside and the other a key 3-pointer after Baylor (9-5, 0-3) cut the lead to 35-29 on a basket by Ben Echols with 13:28 left.

The 3-pointer also came during the middle of a second-half stretch when the Cowboys took just nine shots in about 10 minutes. Gottlieb, who averages 7.6 assists per game, had three baskets.

Gottlieb's steal and layup a few minutes later put the Cowboys up 42-31. They maintained at least a nine-point lead the rest of the game.

Because Gottlieb has earned such a reputation for his passing (632 career assists), many teams will let him penetrate expecting him to pass the ball. In most cases, Gottlieb does just that, but the Cowboys made an effort Saturday to take advantage of that perception.

"I have to make not only my open shots, but make people guard me and space myself in such a way that they can't leave me open, and now I can make a team pay for helping off," Gottlieb said.

Baylor has already won three more games under new coach Dave Bliss than it did last season. But the Bears have lost three straight games, all by double figures to ranked teams.

"If we could score, and that's a big if, we really tried hard on defense and did some effective things," Bliss said. "This is going to take us a while. We have to recruit some good shooters and get some strength."

For the second Saturday in a row, the Cowboys were less than spectacular, but good enough to win.

A week ago, the Cowboys shot a season-low 36 percent and struggled to beat Texas Tech 55-47 in their Big 12 opener. They shot 49 percent (23-of-47) against Baylor, but scored 40 points inside and struggled to put away the Bears, who lost 71-43 at No. 15 Texas and 76-43 at No. 16 Oklahoma.

Gottlieb had two baskets and an assist in a late first-half run that gave Oklahoma State some breathing room.

Baylor trailed by no more than three points until the Cowboys scored eight straight points. The first three baskets came in less than 40 seconds and started a half-ending 14-5 run that put the Cowboys ahead 31-20.

Gottlieb's bounce pass through the lane ended up in the hands of Desmond Mason, who converted a reverse layup to give the Cowboys a 19-15 lead with 4:32 left in the first half.

After a Baylor miss, Brian Montonati had a layup and then Gottlieb was credited with a basket on a goaltending call and Oklahoma State had quickly stretched its lead to 23-15. Gottlieb, alone under the basket, then hit a layup after taking a pass from Joe Akins.

Brian Montonati added 12 points for Oklahoma State and Mason had 10.

DeMarcus Minor led Baylor with 13 points. Leading scorer Tevis Stukes, who didn't start because of a curfew violation, was held to five points, 13 below his season average.

Terry Black scored twice in a 15-second span to give Baylor its only lead. After his short jumper, he stole an Oklahoma State pass for a breakaway layup and an 8-7 lead.

 


ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard

Oklahoma State Clubhouse

Baylor Clubhouse


AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Desmond Mason goes baseline for the reverse layup.
avi: 454 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Demarcus Minor steals the ball and drives in for the dunk.
avi: 611 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1