24 win over Parramatta on Saturday, Graham too has

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Oklahoma States relentless pressure caused havoc against lesser opponents through the first three games.It worked just as well in the Cowboys first true test this season.Jawun Evans had 35 points and five of Oklahoma States 18 steals, lifting the Cowboys to a 98-90 win over Connecticut Monday night in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.I love the fact we had 18 steals. Thats a great number, Oklahoma State coach Brad Underwood said. That means were being active and bothersome now.Oklahoma State (4-0) jumped on the Huskies from the opening tip, turning one steal after another into points in transition. The Cowboys hit five 3-pointers during an opening 18-3 run and finished 12 for 20 from the arc.Jeffrey Carroll and Phil Forte had 18 points each, helping Oklahoma State move on to the second round against No. 4 North Carolina or Chaminade.Evans also had six assists, four rebounds and one turnover.These two guys are awfully hard to guard and thats a great weapon, Underwood said of Evans and Forte.UConn (1-3) struggled with Oklahoma States constant pressure, turning it over 18 times. Jalen Adams had the most trouble with the Cowboys defense, turning it over six times in the opening five minutes and 10 overall.Adams finished with 34 points, six rebounds and six assists. Rodney Purvis added 20 points.The Huskies lost sophomore forward Terry Larrier to a left leg injury in the first half.I just love my kids effort. They tried to get back in the game, UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. I think we cut it to four, but it was just a little bit too late. And we just have to start off a little stronger and weve got to take care of the ball a little bit more.The Cowboys used their relentless pressure and ability to score in transition to average 107 points their first three games. Those came against lesser opponents, so Maui represented their first true test.Oklahoma State was at its harassing best against UConn early, forcing Huskies guard Jalen Adams to turn it over six times in the opening five minutes. The Cowboys turned many of those into transition 3-pointers, hitting 5 of 8 while opening with an 18-3 run.The Huskies held their ground for the rest of the half, though it did little good. Oklahoma State led 40-26 at halftime behind Evans 16 points.UConn finally started to get a handle on Oklahoma States pressure and got some defensive stops, trimming the Cowboys lead to seven with about five minutes left.The Huskies hit a pair of late 3-pointers, but Evans finished them off by hitting three free throws in the final 29 seconds.We definitely can build off of it, Purivs said. Our main thing is we just got to get off to a good start and take care of the basketball.LARRIERS INJURYLarrier was expected to be a big contributor this season after transferring from Virginia Commonwealth. He went down after being stripped of the ball, slapping the floor and screaming as trainers rushed out to him.Larrier was unable to put any weight on his left leg and stopped by to offer his teammates encouragement after being helped to the locker room.He left the arena on crutches and a heavy brace on his left leg.I know its a knee injury, but we dont know the significance of it yet, Ollie said.BIG PICTUREOklahoma States pressure defense withstood its first real test after beating three overmatched opponents and the Cowboys knocked down their 3s, something that will be key this season for them.The Huskies allowed themselves to get sped up by the Cowboys while falling into a big early hole and now face the possibility of playing without Larrier for an extended period.UP NEXTOklahoma State moves on the face the winner between No. 4 North Carolina and host Chaminade in Tuesdays second roundUConn plays the North Carolina-Chaminade loser.---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org Matt Barnes Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Ky Bowman Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. https://www.cheapwarriors.com/1469o-alen-smailagic-jersey-warriors.html . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Glenn Robinson III Jersey . According the Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and Curtis Joseph. Warriors Jerseys 2020 Cronulla second-rower Wade Graham feels his combination with James Maloney is finally hitting its straps and it could be enough to finally earn him that NSW jumper.Graham admits its been a testing couple of weeks after fulfilling his boyhood dream when he was named in the Blues squad for State of Origin II, only to have it ripped from under him because of a high tackle suspension.He admitted to going through a dark spot which he described as the toughest period of his career.It was so tough for me, its one of the hardest things Ive ever had to do, to watch a game you could have been a part of and were so close to being a part of, Graham said.Its something I dreamed of doing since I was a kid and to actually get there and to achieve it and then to lose it due to circumstances that you cant do anything about, it was obviously tough.But it is what it is.The heartache of having to watch from the sidelines as Queensland sealed victory would have been compounded by his knowledge that his replacement Tyson Frizell was the best on field for NSW and looks certain to retain his spot.However, after yet another standout effort for the Sharrks in their record-setting 34-24 win over Parramatta on Saturday, Graham too has a strong claim for a spot in Laurie Daleys squad.ddddddddddddWhat will only strengthen his case is his partnership on the Sharks left side with NSW playmaker James Maloney which is going from strength to strength.After conceding an early 18-0 lead, it was the Sharks left edge which sparked their revival with Graham looking dangerous every time he ran the ball.Its taken a while for (his partnership with Maloney) to get going this year, Graham said.Working with Jimmy a lot, hes a dominant playmaker and we both play what we see, were ad-lib players, we play up on the ball, we play flat at the defence, and sometimes he sees something different that I see and its taken a while to get that communication right.To get that combination for him to sometimes pull back and let me play and when for me to pull back and let him play.Its a work in progress and weve got a lot of improvement in us and well be working hard to get better. 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