Oklahoma State University lost to New Mexico 99-89 in their preseason exhibition opener held at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday afternoon. The Cowboys faced challenges in the second half, including a scoring drought and fouls that allowed New Mexico to gain an advantage from the free throw line.

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Freshman guard Anthony Felesi led Oklahoma State with 18 points, shooting 8-of-13. Junior center Julius Halaifonua added 16 points, while Luka Bogavac and Benjamin Ahmed each scored 13.

For New Mexico, Jake Hall had a standout performance with 31 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and Fynn Lastring contributed 16 points. Both teams were tied in field goals made with 63 each, but New Mexico capitalized on free throw opportunities, converting 36-of-48 attempts overall compared to OSU’s 26-of-34.

The Cowboys entered halftime trailing 42-38 but took a brief lead early in the second half with a 14-6 run, highlighted by a three-point play and 3-pointer from Halaifonua. Felesi’s layup put OSU ahead 52-48, but New Mexico responded with a streak of 12 unanswered points, regaining control.

Despite a comeback attempt that included a 9-0 run from the Cowboys, they could not close the gap after falling behind by as much as 16 points.

Oklahoma State dominated rebounding with a 45-35 advantage, including 22 offensive boards, and scored 27 points from second-chance opportunities. Ahmed was effective inside, making 5-of-6 shots and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.

The Cowboys received a boost from their bench, which scored 59 points in total. This included Felesi's contributions and three 3-pointers from Bogavac. The team had eleven players in the game, with ten logging at least 12 minutes. OSU played without key frontcourt players Parsa Fallah, Jordan Burks, and Mekhi Ragland due to injuries, and starting point guard Kanye Clary was sidelined for the second half.

Hall started strong for New Mexico, scoring the first eight points of the game. Oklahoma State quickly countered with a 13-0 run. However, Hall regained his form and concluded the first half with 21 points on 6-of-6 shooting.

New Mexico finished the game shooting 49.1% from the field and went 9-of-21 from three-point range, while Oklahoma State shot 40%, making 7-of-27 from beyond the arc. The Cowboys struggled with fouls, accumulating 33 total fouls, leading to four players fouling out.

This loss ended Oklahoma State's 57-game home exhibition winning streak, a record that dated back to November 22, 1988. The current exhibition matchup marks the beginning of a two-year series between Oklahoma State and New Mexico, with a return game scheduled in Albuquerque next fall.

Looking ahead, the Cowboys will have two more preseason games before starting the regular season against Incarnate Word on November 2. They will host Tulsa on October 23 as part of Homecoming festivities, followed by a game in Wisconsin on October 27.