Bryce Thompson had 23 points, including 19 in the first half, to lead five Oklahoma State players who scored in double figures on Tuesday as the fourth-seeded Cowboys rallied in the second half for an 89-79 win over Wichita State in the first round of the NIT in Stillwater, Okla.Abou Ousmane had 13 points for Oklahoma State (16-17), which will play the winner of Wednesday’s game between Northern Iowa and top-seeded SMU in the second round on either Saturday or Sunday. Khalil Brantley and Jamyron Keller each had 12 points for the Cowboys and Brandon Newman added 10 to go along with 12 rebounds.Led by Brantley and Newman, Oklahoma State, which had lost three straight to the Shockers in Stillwater, outscored Wichita State 31-10 in bench points.Xavier Bell paced the Shockers (19-15) with 24 points, Corey Washington had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Quincy Ballard finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds.Oklahoma State led by as many as 15 points in the first half, fueled by a 20-2 run that helped the Cowboys take a 30-18 lead that ultimately grew to 37-22 with 4:42 remaining.The Pokes, though, hit a cold spell that allowed the Shockers to climb back.
