RECAP: Cowboys Run Out of Time, Fall to Bears 72-69

Before I even begin getting into the recap, I have to give some props. Props to the Cowboys for going on a 12-0 run in the last 2 minutes and setting themselves up for the tie to go to overtime. Props to Brad Underwood for keeping his guys involved and never giving up and throwing in the towel.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY - PROPS TO THE FANS. That was - without a doubt - the loudest I have ever heard Gallagher-Iba Arena. Even louder than when we beat Kansas last year. Props for sticking around and not trying to beat the traffic. Around 5 minutes to go, I started to look for fans to leave. For the most part, they didn’t. Those that did were few and far between, as the majority of fans stayed Loyal and True. Keep it up basketball fans. We love the basketball team, and they love the Rowdy! It’s insane!

In the postgame show, John Holcomb, the Oklahoma State color announcer, was very pleased with the fans.

“8,100 sounded like 15,000 for a while there,” Holcomb said.

The Cowboys scored the first basket of the game on a quick jumper by Jeffrey Carroll, but that was the end of the Cowboys’ lead for the night. The Bears got the lead as high as 10 in the first half, but the Cowboys battled back to narrow the lead to four points at half.

It was all Bears in the second half - for 16 minutes. That’s when the tables turned. The Bears then went ice cold from the field, only shooting three times in the final 4 minutes. Meanwhile, the Cowboys went on a 12-2 run to end the game, with both of Baylor’s points coming from the charity stripe.

The Fighting Johnathan Motley’s proved to be just too much tonight. The team’s namesake poured in 24 points and grabbed 11 boards. There wasn’t a good matchup for the junior forward, and he exploited the Cowboys all night long scoring all 24 points in the paint.

We didn’t see Lucas N’Guessan at all tonight, and it’s odd to wonder why. Is he so deep in the doghouse we may not see him the rest of the season? Is he too foul prone and struggling to adapt to Big 12 play? Is he simply too scrawny to compete with the “big boys” of the Big 12?

Carroll once again led the team in points, but it was Jawun Evans who had the best game overall. Carroll scored 20, but only grabbed one board. He added an assist and two steals to the mix. Evans had a final line of 16 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals.

Here’s the final stats, courtesy of ESPN.

This loss to Baylor ends the five game winning streak, but does it really hurt the Cowboys at all in terms of the NCAA Tournament changes? Probably not.

Here are the highlights from tonight’s near upset of the Baylor Bears.

The Cowboys fall to 15-9 with a 4-7 record in the Big 12. Up next, the Cowboys welcome the Longhorns to town on Saturday and will look to avenge their loss earlier in Austin. To me, this is a must win for the Cowboys, as getting swept by the Longhorns will hurt our tournament chances.

Tickets are selling quickly for the game vs Texas, and it is expected to be the third sellout of the season. Why not spend your afternoon bringing the rowdy and come see the Cowboys in action? Tickets start at $20, but you have to act fast!