Box Score STILLWATER, Oklahoma – Tarleton State Men's Basketball nearly notched its second Power Four victory leading for the majority of the game but falling just short, 66-61 on Wednesday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
 
The Texans (3-10) led 31-25 at the break. But, the Cowboys (7-3), who received votes in this week's AP Poll, narrowly pulled it out in the second half.
 
"We found a lot of toughness," said head coach Billy Gillispie post-game. "We found a team anybody can be proud of no matter what the result of the game is. If we keep on fighting, playing hard for each other, helping each other and rebounding when it matters the most, it should be a fun conference season."
 
Freshman Keitenn Bristow showed out on the big stage notching a career-high 17 points. He also made a career-best four from deep while shooting six-for-10 from the field. He added seven boards all on the defensive glass.
 
Marty Silvera in just his second game with the Texans proved his talents will definitely help the squad this season. Silvera season-best 16 points is his best scoring effort with a Division I program in his career. The senior also posted game-highs with six assists and five steals. The Worcester, Mass., native, joins teammates Bubu Benjamin and Jordan Mizell as the only Texans this season to record at least six assists. Silvera's five steals also marks the third time that a Texan has had at least five steals in a contest this year joining Nick Krass (7) and Izzy Miles (8).
 
In total, four Texans scored in double digits. Chris Mpaka and Miles each notched 10. Mpaka led the Texans with four blocks. It marks the third game of the season that the junior college transfer has recorded four or more blocks in a single game. For the second time this season, Miles led the team in boards grabbing eight.
 
Tarleton started out hot in the first half. Freshman Bristow started the scoring knocking down his first two threes to give the Purple and White a 6-3 advantage. Mpaka gave the Texans an 8-6 lead with a lay-up before the Cowboys retook the lead for the last time in the half.
 
Trailing by a pair, Silvera nailed a three-pointer to give the Texans the lead 13-12, a lead that they would maintain for the reminder of the first 20 minutes of play. Silvera started a 10-0 run for the Texans spanning 2:58 of game play. Silvera accounted for five while Miles, Mpaka and Benjamin accounted for the other five to put the Texans ahead by eight, 20-12 with 9:57 remaining.
 
After a timeout to regroup, the Cowboys cut their deficit to five, 22-17 with just over six minutes to play. Tarleton responded with a 7-0 run fueled by a Bristow triple and mid-range jumper to take their biggest lead of the evening, 29-17. Bristow later nailed another jumper to post a team-high 13 first half points and give the Texans a 31-19 lead with 2:38 to go in the first half. The Cowboys chipped away at the lead in the final 2:38 not allowing the Texans to score and cutting their deficit to six, 31-25 at the break.
 
Tarleton shot a remarkable 56.5 percent in the first half while holding the Cowboys to shoot just at 24.1 clip. Oklahoma State made two of its 11 shoots from deep, a 18.2 percent rate. Tarleton sunk four at a 50 percent clip in the first 20.
 
The Cowboys came out with a vengeance in the second half, scoring on back-to-back possessions to cut their deficit down to two in just under two minutes of play. After an Mpaka block, Miles found the ball on a fast break and gave the Texans a four-point advantage with a fast break lay-up.
 
The two teams swapped baskets until the under-16 media timeout with the Texans leading 35-31. Coming out of the media, it was the Cowboys turn to regain the lead. After Tarleton lead for nearly 20 total minutes, Oklahoma State executed a 7-0 run to take the lead for the first time since early in the first half.
 
But, the Texans weren't going to give up easily. Silvera drove through traffic to score his first of 11 second half points. After the Cowboys widened their lead to four with a triple, it was Silvera that brought the Texans back within a bucket, 41-39.
 
With 10:59 to go and the Cowboys leading 44-40, it was Miles turn to take over the game. He scored on back-to-back possessions, with the latter resulting from a steal in the Cowboys offensive end and finding his way to the hoop for two more to tie the game at 44.
 
Oklahoma State took control over the next few minutes, building their lead up to seven with seven minutes to go. Bristow made a free throw followed by a Bubu Benjamin layup to bring the Texans within four, 52-48. After a Cowboy bucket, Silvera stole an outlet Cowboy pass on their next possession and stopped and popped from three to cut the Oklahoma State advantage to three, 54-51 with 4:15 remaining.
 
Silvera initiated a series of three-pointers on each end followed by a Cowboy triple in response to bring the lead back to six. But on the Texans next possession, Bristow returned the favor with his fourth triple of the night. Oklahoma State responded with another three of their own, followed by a bucket to give them an eight-point lead, their largest of the night.
 
Tarleton State showed they still had fight in themselves when Dantwan Grimes buried a triple from deep as the shot clock expired. Silvera followed up on the next possession driving to the basket to force an Oklahoma State timeout with the lead 62-59 and 1:21 to go.
 
In the final minute, the Cowboys scored on their next possession, answered by Silvera driving to the hoop again with 30 ticks left. In a crazy luck situation, the Cowboys turned the ball off on the inbound when Arturo Dean traveled while catching the pass. Unfortunately the Texans were unable to convert as Benjamin was forced to take an off-balanced three and the Cowboys grabbed the board ending the Texan comeback chances, ultimately resulting in a 66-61 defeat by the Cowboys.
 
The Texans knocked down a season-best seven triples, while shooting at a 38.9 percent clip. For the fifth time this season, the Purple and White won the turnover battle forcing 18 and only committing 14. The Texans tallied 11 steals, marking the fourth time this season the squad recorded at least 10 in a single game.
 
Tarleton finished the night shooting 46.3 percent, 25-for-54 from the floor, out-shooting the Cowboys 40.0 percent. Oklahoma State won the battle of the boards, 42-26.
 
Tarleton State will finish off its three-game week with a home tilt against Howard Payne on Saturday evening. The Texan men will be the second part of a women's and men doubleheader at Wisdom Gym. The women will tip off against St.Mary's (TX) at 2 p.m. followed by an expected 4 p.m. tip for the men's game. Saturday will be Whataburger's Hoops for the Holliday with Whataburger in the main concourse giving away promotional items. Early-arriving fans to both games will receive a free Texan mini hoop as part of "Hoop There it is Night".