GAME NOTES: The unbeaten Oklahoma State Cowboys will face their first true road test of the season on Saturday afternoon, as they venture to Colonial Life Arena for a non-conference clash with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Oklahoma State's outstanding 7-0 start to the season was highlighted by a championship in the MGM Grand Main Event in Las Vegas prior to Thanksgiving, defeating Oregon State (66-53) and Tulsa (73-58) en route to the title. The Cowboys most recently kept their perfect season alive with a convincing 87-61 triumph over North Texas on Wednesday.

South Carolina had lost three of four prior to its current two-game winning streak, with its most recent triumph coming at Marshall on Monday, 77-59. The Gamecocks are 4-3 this season and have won six of their last eight on their home floor.

Oklahoma State made easy work of South Carolina in Stillwater last season with a 79-52 victory to pull the all-time series to 1-1.

The outcome of the Cowboys' latest contest was never in doubt, as they opened up a 42-30 lead at the half over North Texas before cruising to the 26-point victory. They shot an outstanding 52.9 percent from the field in the win and had a stellar night at the foul line as well (23-of-31). Phil Forte was the catalyst with career-high 32 points, doing so on 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and 11-of-13 at the stripe. Michael Collins helped out in a variety of ways with 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a steal, while Anthony Allen didn't miss a shot from the floor (4-of-4) or the line (4-of-4) en route to 12 points off the bench.

The well-rounded performance was nothing new for Oklahoma State, which outshoots its opponents from the field, 48.8 percent to 34.6 percent, for a lofty +23.4 scoring margin. Forte is the go-to scoring option and has responded well with 19.3 ppg on 22-of-54 from 3-point range. Le'Bryan Nash (18.3 ppg) is right on Forte's tail and is expected back in the lineup after serving a suspension last game. While no one else scores in double figures, seven others contribute at least 4.0 ppg.

The Gamecocks barely broke a sweat in their most recent game, as they carried a 19-point lead into intermission and their advantage swelled to as many as 24 down the stretch. They shot a stellar 47.6 percent from the field while forcing Marshall into more turnovers (19) than field goals (16). Duane Notice led the way with a career-high 27 points on 10-of-18 from the field. Laimonas Chatkevicius netted 15 points, Justin McKie came off the bench to score 12 and Sindarius Thornwell logged a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

While South Carolina hasn't been quiet as dominant as Oklahoma State this season, it also boasts great margins in terms of scoring (+10.0), rebounding (+6.9) and turnovers (+2.4) while outshooting its opponents from the field, 44.4 percent to 36.4 percent. Thornwell shoots less than 38 percent from the floor but generates enough volume to score a team-best 13.0 ppg while also playing stellar defense with 2.6 steals per game. Notice (10.6 ppg), Chatkevicius (10.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and Tyrone Johnson (8.6 ppg) are also regular contributors.

Taking down a deep South Carolina squad in Columbia won't be an easy task, but Oklahoma State is rolling right now and will be at full strength with Nash expected back.