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Oklahoma State couldn’t start a winning streak in Big 12 conference play after taking down Texas in Stillwater on Saturday.
Oklahoma State kicked off a brutal road trip with a 70-60 loss to West Virginia in Morgantown. The Cowboys struggled to shoot in the first of three road games this week, shooting just 39.6% from the field and 26.3% from the three point line.
The Cowboys kept it close for most of the first half before West Virginia guard Gabe Osabuohien came off the bench and ignited the Mountaineers offense. West Virginia led Oklahoma State 34-23 at halftime.
West Virginia shot an identical 5-19 from the three point line and actually shot a worse percentage from the field at 37.3%. The biggest difference was in the free throw shooting where West Virginia was more aggressive. The Mountaineers shot 21-22 from the free throw line, compared to just 9-15 for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys also turned the ball over 17 times compared to 12 turnovers for West Virginia.
OSU cut the West Virginia lead to 54-47 thanks to an Isaac Likekele free throw with 7:11 remaining in the game but couldn’t cut the deficit under seven points. The West Virginia lead ballooned to 64-47 over the next two minutes of game time to put the lead out of reach.
Bryce Williams led Oklahoma State in scoring with 12 points and Isaac Likekele scored in double figures with 11 points. Avery Anderson III chipped in nine points on just 3-13 shooting. Keylan Boone scored eight points off the bench and Moussa Cisse scored seven points. Anderson III and Likekele led the way in rebounds with seven and six respectively and Williams led the Cowboys in assists with four.
Oklahoma State will now travel to the Lone Star State to take on a No. 19 Texas Tech squad that just upset No. 1 Baylor 65-62 in Waco. The Cowboys then get to visit Waco to take on a Baylor squad that just lost its first game since a loss to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 tournament last March.
If Oklahoma State wants to have a shot at beating either Texas Tech or Baylor, taking care of the basketball and shooting a better percentage from the field will be key. If the shooting isn’t there, getting to the free throw line will be a must. Texas Tech is one of the hottest teams in the nation at the moment and Baylor has enough talent to make another run at a National Championship.