Preview: Oklahoma State vs Florida

The 7-3 Oklahoma State Cowboys face a tough challenge Saturday night when they will travel to Sunrise, Florida, to take on the 6-3 Florida Gators. The game is part of the 22nd annual Metro PCS Orange Bowl Classic which also features a matchup between Florida State University and Florida Atlantic University. Both games will be held in the BB&T center which is currently the home of the Florida Panthers of the NHL.

The Gators come into Saturday’s game riding a two game losing streak which includes losses to 15th ranked Miami (FL) and top ranked Michigan State, both of which were road games for the Gators. In fact, all three of the Gators’ losses have come to ranked teams, as they suffered their first loss of the year to Purdue who is currently ranked 9th in the country.

The Gators feature one of the league’s best defenses which currently sits at 12th best in the nation with only 59.4 points allowed per game. Florida is also strong rebounding team (21st in the nation) and have three players averaging over seven boards a game; highlighted by senior forward Dorian Finney-Smith who leads the team in both points (13.9) and rebounds (8.3) per game.

Oklahoma State has picked up speed a little bit after two straight home losses, with wins over Minnesota and Longwood. The Cowboys are likely to be without Phil Forte once again, which will mark the 8th straight game he has missed.

Tip off is set for 7:00 PM CT