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BUFFALO, New York (Ticker) -- Desmond Mason scored 30 points as third-seed Oklahoma State eased its way to an 86-66 victory over 14th-seed Hofstra in an East Region first-round game. Trailing 5-3 two minutes into the contest, the Cowboys (25-6) seized control with a 17-2 run led by Mason. He collected eight points during the burst and, after Alex Webber's slam dunk, Okalahoma State led 20-7 midway through the first half. "They (Hofstra) didn't know our offense," Mason said. "The main thing is just jumping up and knocking the shots down, guys getting the ball. I think my confidence was high today. I wanted to come out and play really well." Oklahoma State nevered allow Hofstra (24-7) back into the contest, leading 43-26 at halftime. The Cowboys held the Flying Dutchmen to only 36 percent shooting (8-of-22) over the first 20 minutes. Fredrik Jonzen added 13 points, including 11-of-15 from the free throw line, for the Cowboys, who advance to the second round on Sunday against 11th-seeded Pepperdine, which upset Indiana. "I thought we played a good basketball team," Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton said. "We were able to contain (Speedy) Claxton in the first half so he wasn't able to break our defense down and we got a big lead. Defense was very important in this game. Desmond (Mason) had a great game." Norman Richarson and Craig "Speedy" Claxton scored 20 points apiece for Hofstra, which saw its seven-game winning streak and season come to an end. Richarson hit a pair of free throws to pull the Flying Dutchmen to 54-39 with 13:41 remaining, but that would be the closest they would come in the second half. Mason converted two free throws and then drained a 3-pointer from the left corner to give Oklahoma State its biggest leads of 71-45, and finally, 74-48 with 5:31 remaining. Hofstra relied on the 3-point shot in the second half, taking 15 shots from behind the arc and hitting five. It was an improvement after a woeful 1-of-7 performance in the opening period. "They hedged a lot on the ball screen, which makes it difficult for me to turn the corner," Claxton said. "They are a great defensive team." Mason, the Cowboys' leading scorer, finished the contest hitting 11-of-17 from the field. Oklahoma State continued its hot shooting after the intermission, firing at a 59 percent clip (13-of-22). Although Richardson was co-leader in scoring for the Flying Dutchmen, he was an unimpressive 6-of-21 from the field, including 4-of-14 from behind the arc. "I came into today's game thinking we were going to win," Richardson said. "I didn't come in expecting to have a close game and lose. I expected to come in and do like some of the cinderella teams have done, that is pull off a win. Unfourtunately that did not happen for us." Jonzen completed a double-double, grabbing 11 boards, as Oklahoma State held a 37-29 rebounding edge.
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