OKLAHOMA CITY ? JamesOn Curry hesitated for a split second, then jumped and let loose a three-pointer right in front of his coach’s seat.

When the shot fell through, the 19-year-old freshman didn’t keep his excitement inside. He pumped his fist as he walked toward midcourt, giving second-seeded Oklahoma State the boost it needed in its 63-50 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Cowboys move on to play Southern Illinois on Sunday in the Chicago Regional.

“I thought it was a bad shot,” Curry said. “But it went in, so I guess it was a good shot.”

The three-pointer put Oklahoma State ahead 54-47 with just less than four minutes to play, and the Cowboys (25-6) held off the Lions (24-9) by making their next nine free throws down the stretch.

Once the Lions pulled within three points, it was Curry’s enthusiasm that put the Cowboys over the top. He sliced into the lane and found Ivan McFarlin cutting to the basket for a layup, and he was only getting started.

He added a free throw, then found McFarlin for another basket inside to put Oklahoma State up 49-43. Terrence Crawford emphatically jammed home a miss by John Lucas III.

“Coach is always talking about playing with intensity and emotion,” Curry said. “That helps change the game a little bit.”