Warner- The Connors State Cowboys recovered from a lackadaisical first half as they used the free-throw line to propel themselves to an 81-71 victory over Northern Oklahoma-Enid in Oklahoma Collegiate Athletic Conference play Monday night at Melvin Self Fieldhouse.

Starting slowly the Cowboys played back and forth with the Jets through most of the first half, finally gaining a 10-point lead with 3:20 left only to see it fizzle away in a 15-0 run by Northern to end the half and give the Jets a five-point lead at the break.

Connors tied the game in the first minute of the second half but couldn't quite get over the hump until about the seven-minute mark in the game when the Cowboys took a 62-60 lead and built it from there.

"We started sluggish, may be to be expected after four tough games, but we stayed close and even got the lead but then we played as badly as we could play the last three minutes of the half and they got back on top," said Cowboy coach Bill Muse, who was honored in a presentation prior to the game for his 700th career win at Connors earlier this month. "But we got even early in the second half and built a slim lead and then made our free throws down the stretch and played like the experienced team we are."