Despite ankle injury, Moussa Cisse sparking Oklahoma State men's basketball with 'defensive presence'
STILLWATER — As the Oklahoma State crowd chanted his name, Moussa Cisse struggled to leave the court.
With his left arm already draped around Bernard Kouma’s shoulders, Cisse put his right arm around Naz Brown. They helped the 7-foot-1 center gingerly walk to a chair behind the team bench.
Three claps followed each time Cisse’s name was chanted.
The Cowboys were 3.3 seconds away from upsetting 12th-ranked Iowa State 61-59 Saturday afternoon in Gallagher-Iba Arena. His injured ankle was hurting after a double leap in a chaotic scramble for a crucial rebound.
Nearly all of the 6,656 fans in attendance wanted to shower Cisse with appreciation, unsure if they would see him again in the near future.
OSU would not have been in that position without him.
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“We don’t win that game without Moussa’s defensive presence,” said Cowboys coach Mike Boynton, who added that Cisse’s ankle pain was believed to not be a reaggravation.
In the past week, the Cowboys have rebounded from a discouraging three-game losing streak in Big 12 play with wins over Bedlam rival OU and a deeply talented Cyclones squad. Lots of reasons point to the success — better offense, unrelenting defense, the emergence of Woody Newton and Avery Anderson III breaking out of a slump stick out.
But nothing is more important than the return of Cisse, even in a very limited role, since he suffered an ankle injury on Jan. 2.
“Regardless if he can move on one leg or jump off two or whatever it is, dude’s just massive,” OSU senior forward Kalib Boone said. “When he’s out there, people gotta respect this ain’t going to be easy.”
Cisse played just 14 minutes off the bench Saturday. He did not attempt a shot. He had three rebounds and a steal.
And despite his ankle not being 100%, he delivered arguably his best block as a Cowboy.
OSU trailed by three with 5:19 remaining when Iowa State’s Jaren Holmes dribbled to his right and shot a jumper from outside of the lane. As the shot reached its top height, Cisse jumped and somehow pinned the shot against the backboard near the top of the white square.
Two minutes and 10 seconds later, the Cowboys took the lead and never gave it back.
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“It surprised me,” Boone said. “That looked like a goaltend in my eyes. Then again, I remembered, the only person that can go get this kind of stuff that I know is Moussa.”
Even Boynton was impressed with the play.
“I don’t know what to say,” he said. “I’m a guy who’s not easy to impress. I’ve seen so much in basketball. I watch this kid and his ability to cover ground and clean up mistakes, be able to allow our guards to be as aggressive as they need to be defensively.
“A sensational block.”
In the past two games, OSU has gone with a four-guard starting lineup and primary rotation. It spreads the floor for Boone in the low post. Newton has stepped up, hitting big 3s in vital moments.
The early returns are sensational with the Cowboys’ offense breaking out of an extended funk.
What happens with that lineup as Cisse continues to heal is unclear. Boynton said things like that seem to play out naturally.
But he was also able to use Cisse’s defensive presence to his advantage Saturday.
In the final 4:24, Cisse was subbed in and out of the lineup for Boone three times, allowing Boynton to play Cisse primarily on defense and Boone on offense.
That kept Iowa State on its heels.
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“They have very different strengths,” Boynton said. “One is sensational offensively, so we had a possession where we were able to score, get a timeout, put Moussa back in and get a stop. Unfortunately, you have limited timeouts.
“We play in a league where all the games are like this. So the more opportunities you can control who’s on the floor to execute the things you need to to win, the better chance you’ll have to execute what you need to win.”
Boone scored four points, including a big dunk with 1:42 remaining, during that stretch.
Cisse had the defensive rebound to help seal the game, fighting over a crowd of Cyclones and Cowboys as the basketball bounced around, even hitting the goal.
Cisse at first stood still as the play was blown dead for a foul by Tre King on Newton. Then Cisse grabbed his ankle and went to the ground.
The arena got quiet. Then fans serenaded Cisse with chants of his name as he was helped from the floor.
They understood the value of one player.
“He’s the most dynamic player in our league,” Boynton said. “Period. There’s some other guys who are much more talented offensively.
"But no one can impact the game without touching the basketball like he can.”
Jacob Unruh covers college sports for The Oklahoman. You can send your story ideas to him at junruh@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @jacobunruh. Support his work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.
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OSU vs. Texas
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State center Moussa Cisse making big impact despite injury
