The Oklahoma State Cowboys used a very balanced scoring attack and suffocating defense on Tuesday in a home win over the 20th ranked Baylor Bears by a score of 64-53. Junior guard Phil Forte III led the Oklahoma State charge with 16 points in 37 minutes. Forte III knocked down four shots from beyond arc. Le’Bryan Nash, Tavarius Shine, and Jeff Newberry also scored in double figures for the Cowboys.
Baylor is not the best shooting team in country ranking 229th with a percentage of 42.6% on the season but tonight was one of their worst shooting nights in a while. The Bears shot just 34.5% from the floor as a team on the night. Their two leading scorers on the season (Taurean Prince and Kenny Chery) combined for just 18 points on 8-of-27 shooting.
The loss dropped the Bears to 3-4 in the Big 12 Conference but most worrisome is their conference road record. They are now sitting at 1-3 on the road with trips to West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa State and Texas all still to go before the Conference Tournament rolls around in March.
Oklahoma State is in the same boat as Baylor when it comes to the disparity of records at home and on the road in the Big 12. The win improved the Cowboys to 4-0 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in conference play, while on the road they are 0-4.
It was a much needed win for the Cowboys who are currently on the bubble in the latest VAVEL Bracketology. It also started a very difficult stretch of games that will see them play six of their next seven games against ranked opposition including tough home games with Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa State, and West Virginia. They will also travel to Texas and Baylor in that stretch.
Both schools are sitting in the second tier of the Big 12 standings. Oklahoma State is in 5th place, 2 games behind Kansas. Baylor is in 6th place, 2.5 games behind Kansas.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys will take the court again on Saturday in Bedlam on the Hardwood against in-state rival Oklahoma. The Baylor Bears travel back to Waco and welcome in the Texas Longhorns for a big clash on Saturday evening.