STILLWATER, Okla. (Interstat) — In a pivotal early-January Big 12 Conference clash, the Oklahoma State Cowboys used a dominant first-half offensive display and a series of timely second-half responses to hold off a persistent UCF Knights team 87-76 on Tuesday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The victory improved Oklahoma State to 13-2 overall and marked a strong rebound from a road loss to Texas Tech their last time out. UCF, coming off a significant home win over Kansas, saw its six-game winning streak snapped and fell to 12-2.

The game’s most important phase was Oklahoma State’s sustained first-half efficiency, which built a cushion the Knights could never fully erase. The Cowboys shot a blistering percentage from the floor in the opening period, racing to a 41-32 halftime lead. They consistently found seams in the UCF defense, particularly through the dynamic guard play of Kanye Clary and the interior presence of Parsa Fallah.

Fallah, the 6-foot-10 junior from Amol, Iran, was the game’s standout performer, scoring 24 points on efficient shooting and anchoring the paint for 32 minutes. His early activity set the tone, as he scored six of Oklahoma State’s first nine points. Clary, a 6-foot guard from Virginia Beach, Virginia, orchestrated the offense with 18 points and eight assists, repeatedly breaking down defenders to create for himself and others.

UCF, which thrives on generating points off turnovers and in transition, found some success in those areas, finishing with a 21-14 advantage in points off turnovers and a 14-4 edge in fastbreak points. However, they struggled to contain Oklahoma State’s half-court execution for long stretches. The Knights were led by Riley Kugel’s 15 points and four assists, while Jamichael Stillwell added 13 points and Devan Cambridge contributed 11 points and two blocks.

Every time UCF threatened to cut the deficit to a single possession in the second half, Oklahoma State had an answer. After a Themus Fulks layup brought UCF within 51-47 with just over 16 minutes remaining, the Cowboys responded with a 7-0 spurt, capped by a Vyctorius Miller three-pointer, to push the lead back to 11.

The Knights made their most serious charge late. Trailing 80-71, UCF unleashed a 9-2 run, fueled by two three-pointers from Riley Kugel and a driving layup from Fulks, to close within 82-80 with exactly one minute left. The comeback bid, however, was extinguished at the free-throw line. Oklahoma State’s Anthony Roy and Parsa Fallah combined to hit four critical free throws in the final minute, and a Vyctorius Miller steal and subsequent free throws with 26 seconds left sealed the outcome.

Miller finished with 13 points for the Cowboys, and Roy added 15, including several key baskets to stem UCF momentum. For UCF, Fulks tallied 11 points and four assists.

The game was a statistical contrast. Oklahoma State’s offensive precision, shooting a high percentage from the floor and from three-point range, ultimately outweighed UCF’s advantages in paint scoring (34-26) and points off turnovers. A crowd of 5,057 at Gallagher-Iba Arena saw the Cowboys improve their home record and hand the Knights their first loss since late November.

UCF will look to regroup when it hosts Cincinnati on Sunday. Oklahoma State faces a quick turnaround with a challenging road trip to Iowa State on Saturday.