Oklahoma State Falls Short in Upset Bid Against No. 5 Houston
Oklahoma State fought hard but ultimately couldn’t secure the win against No. 5 Houston, falling 72-63 on Tuesday night at the Fertitta Center. The Cowboys kept the game tight for much of the night, but couldn’t pull off the upset in the final minutes.
After trailing by just six points at halftime, Oklahoma State’s deficit widened early in the second half. Houston came out strong, launching an 8-0 run in the first four minutes to stretch its lead to 47-33. A 13-2 run from the Cougars shortly after gave them their biggest lead of the game at 17 points, but the Cowboys fought back.
OSU responded with a 7-0 run, pulling within 10 points, but struggled to close the gap any further. A few minutes of back-and-forth play followed, and a 3-pointer from Marchelus Avery brought the Cowboys within nine points just before the under-4 media timeout.
Similar to their first meeting with Houston, the Cowboys struck early, jumping to an 18-9 lead over the first eight minutes. For a while, it looked like they might have a shot at knocking off one of the nation’s top teams.
However, unlike their earlier Big 12 opener in Stillwater, where they fell apart in the second half, the Cowboys were much more competitive in this game. Though their early lead disappeared, they still had a legitimate chance at halftime, trailing by just six points. Over the last 11 minutes of the first half, OSU was outscored 30-15, but Arturo Dean’s timely 3-pointer before the buzzer kept their hopes alive.
Despite staying within striking distance throughout the night, the Cowboys couldn’t match Houston’s offensive firepower. While it was another loss for OSU, pushing a national title contender to the brink on the road serves as a positive sign as they continue through their Big 12 schedule.
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