TULSA, Okla. -- Freshman Lindy Waters made the game-winning basket as Oklahoma State edged in-state rival Tulsa 71-67 Saturday, but both Oklahoma State coach Brad Underwood and Tulsas Frank Haith saw different keys to what both agreed was an unsightly affair.Underwood pointed to the toughness and resourcefulness of freshman guard Brandon Averette, who stepped in for leading scorer Jawun Evans and scored a career-high 17 points with three assists and three steals, helping the young Cowboys, now 7-2, snap a six-game losing streak in true road games.I love our freshmen, theyre fearless, Underwood said. Ive seen veteran teams get punched in the mouth like they did in the second half and fold, but they hung in there. Theyve got great heart and swagger. Im proud of what they did.Haith was left to rue his teams 18 turnovers and 41-30 rebounding deficit.Thats where we lost the game, he said. Its very difficult to win when you give up 17 offensive rebounds and have 18 turnovers. They are going to be aggressive on the ball and you cant give in to the pressure.Waters, one of four freshmen on the floor for OSU throughout many of the key late moments, hit the basket with the shot clock nearing zero and despite tight defense from Tulsas Pat Birt. Tulsa had a chance to tie, but Sterling Taplin missed a layup attempt and OSU (7-2) secured the rebound. Fellow freshman Thomas Dziagwa, who made three big second-half 3-pointers, made two free throws to secure the win with less than a second remaining.Jeffrey Carroll had 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds for OSU. Dziagwa scored 11 points.Taplin had 16 points and Jaleel Wheeler 15 for Tulsa (4-4). Wheelers third 3-pointer of the second half, all from the left corner, gave Tulsa a 60-57 lead with 4:57 to play, its first lead since 15-14. The Cowboys clawed back on a pull-up by Averette, and 3-pointers by Leyton Hammonds and Dziagwa to lead 65-60.Taplin scored on two drives and made one of two free throws to pull Tulsa to 67-65, then Junior Etou tied the score at 69 on a rebound basket before Waters game-winner.Averette played 37 minutes after playing just eight in a one-point loss to Maryland.It was different, but I go against the best point guard in America every day in practice, so that prepared me for it, Averette said.Ahead 17-16, the Cowboys took command with a 12-0 run triggered by a Phil Forte 3-pointer and fueled by seven free throws, pushing the lead to 29-16. The Cowboys forced Tulsa into 11 turnovers and had a 13-rebound advantage in leading 38-30 at the break, thanks partly to two late rebound baskets by Mitchell Solomon, including a tip-in at the buzzer.BIG PICTUREBoth coaches saw positives from their young squads still adjusting to each players skills and habits.Tulsa executed with much better flow on offense in the second half, which Underwood credited to adjustments made by Haith.Theyve got an NCAA Tournament team there, Underwood said of Tulsa. Did you see their first game? Not very good, but theyve made tremendous strides. Frank is a very good offensive coach and they did some things in the second half that gave us a lot of trouble.Were developing. Were getting better, Haith said. I think out best basketball is ahead of us.On the other hand, Underwood said his teams first-half defense, which forced 11 Tulsa turnovers, was as good as the Cowboys have played this year.I knew it would be ugly early without Jawun, but I loved our effort, he said. That was as hard as weve played this year,NEW STARTERSOklahoma State: The Cowboys were without leading scorer Evans (23.6 ppg), out with a bruise of the AC joint in his left shoulder suffered in practice Thursday. Guard Phil Forte also did not start due to a bruised hip but entered at the 15:51 mark. Averette and Carroll replaced them in the starting lineup.Tulsa: After a 1-for-10 shooting performance in his last game that dropped his season percentage to 31 percent, Pat Birt, Tulsas leading returning scorer from a year ago, did not start for the first time this season, and was replaced by freshman Lawson Korita. Korita finished with nine points and Birt had four.TRADING TREYS:With 9:20 left, Dziagwa made a 3-pointer to give OSU a 53-45 advantage, starting a string of four possessions in which either he or TUs Wheeler made a 3-pointer. Wheelers second left OSU up 56-51.UP NEXTOklahoma State is back home Wednesday against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.Tulsa hosts Texas State on Dec. 17. Derwin James Youth Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Melvin Ingram Jersey . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. The pride of Weyburn, Sask. http://www.prochargersteamstore.com/Youth-Antonio-Gates-Elite-Jersey/ . Isner, ranked No. 14, won his eighth career singles title and took the title in New Zealand for the second time after his victory in 2010. The match was similar to Isners quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber which went to three sets, all tiebreaks and contained no breaks of serve. Antonio Gates Youth Jersey . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. Kellen Winslow Jersey . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury. RALEIGH, N.C. -- It was supposed to be Dennis Smith Jr.s coming-out party, but his fellow starters joined him as guests of honor.Terry Henderson scored 23 points to help North Carolina State beat Georgia Southern 81-79 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams.All five starters scored in double figures for the Wolfpack, who won despite shooting 4 of 24 from 3-point range.We all made key plays down the stretch that we needed to win, N.C. State guard Torin Dorn said.Maverick Rowan scored 17 points for N.C. State and Abdul-Malik Abu had 15 points and 11 rebounds.Dorn added 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolfpack. He scored in the lane with 3:47 left to put N.C. State ahead for good at 68-67.It can be anybodys night, Henderson said. It doesnt just have to be my night. It can be Torins night, Dennis night. Weve got so many weapons.Tookie Brown had 26 points and a career-high 10 rebounds to lead Georgia Southern. Ike Smith added 20 points for the Eagles.Smith, the highly touted freshman point guard, scored 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting from the field for N.C. State.Georgia Southern led 66-60 with just over six minutes to play, but N.C. State answered with a 10-1 run to seize control.BIG PICTUREGeorgia Southern: It was an impressive effort by the Eagles, who scrapped their way to 20 offensive rebounds and appear ready to improve on their 14-17 record from last season.N.C. State: The Wolfpack are off to a nice start after A rough beginning a year ago, when they dropped their opener and lost Henderson to a season-ending ankle injury just six minutes into the game.SHOOTING BLANKSThe Eagles missed the shooting touch of guard Mike Hughes, who is suspended for the first three games after finishing second on the team in scoring last season. They made just 5 of 22 3-point attempts and 20 of 32 free throws.ddddddddddddStill, Georgia Southern, which set a school record for 3-pointers a year ago, almost pulled the upset. That was encouraging, coach Mark Byington said. We were close to winning in a different way than our normal recipe.N.C. State was even worse from 3-point range. The Wolfpack missed their final 16 3-point attempts, including all nine in the second half.HIGHLIGHT REELSmith threw a no-look lob over his shoulder to Abu for a two-handed dunk in the first half. The alley oop brought rap star J. Cole, a close friend of Smith, out of his courtside seat for a brief celebration. The play gave N.C. State a 30-20 lead, but the Wolfpack went without a basket for the next five minutes.QUICK COMPAREBrown, the reigning Sun Belt rookie of the year, provided a stiff test for Smith, the favorite to win the award in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Both guards wear No. 4, and both played 36 minutes. In addition to his efforts chasing down rebounds, Brown finished with three assists and no turnovers. Smith, who briefly left the game in the second half after taking a knee to his thigh, added five assists and just one turnover.ELIGIBILITY WATCHN.C. State freshman Ted Kapita has been ruled eligible for competition by the NCAA. N.C. State learned of the decision before the game. Kapita, a 6-8 forward from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is eligible to play on Sunday.UP NEXTGeorgia Southern hosts NAIA opponent Coastal Georgia on Monday. Its one of just two home games that the Eagles play in their first 12 contests.N.C. State hosts St. Francis on Sunday in the season opener for the Terriers. ' ' '