3 Keys For A Cowboy Win Over The Sun Devils

Oklahoma State hopes to leave Arizona on a high note, with a win against ASU.

Feb 4, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Kanye Clary (1) dribbles during the first half against the BYU Cougars at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The OSU Cowboys are gearing up for a must-win game in Tempe. 

The Pokes are out West as they are taking on Arizona State on Tuesday night for a chance to get back in the win column. This is the first time the Cowboys have played in Tempe since the 1996-97 season, and hopefully history doesn’t repeat itself. 

Cowboy basketball is 0-2 in program history when hitting the hardwood at ASU, but this year’s squad looks to be the first to disrupt this trend. 

OSU must secure a win to stop its bleeding, as the Cowboys have fallen to the next four out in the latest ESPN Bracketology update. Walking into the Sun Devils’ lair and emerging with a win won’t be easy, but if the Cowboys can do the little things right, their fifth conference win seems very possible.

Here are three keys to an OSU victory over Arizona State.

1. Get back in the paint

Oklahoma State had a difficult time breaking down Arizona’s defense to find a way to the rim. The Cowboys only scored 14 points down low and suffered greatly, as they ended the game with just 47 points total. 

However, when OSU finds its way to the paint, good things happen. In the Pokes' win over BYU, they scored 52 points on the backs of Parsah Fallah and Christian Coleman, both having double-digit scoring performances. 

If the Cowboys can find a way to get Fallah and Coleman back to successful paint play, Arizona State won’t be able to keep up down the stretch. 

2. Crash the boards

Extra chances to score always impact a game in major ways, and OSU must take advantage of all the extra opportunities the Sun Devils allow. 

ASU is ranked in the bottom half of the nation in opponent offensive rebounds per game, as they allow 9.8. This is an opportunity for Oklahoma State to dominate the glass and put itself in the best position to win. 

If the Pokes can out-hustle the Sun Devils on the glass, there’s a good chance OSU will walk out of this one with a win. 

3. A teamwide spark

The entirety of the Pokes' roster had a rough outing in the team’s last bout. Anthony Roy led the team in scoring with only 10 points, and no other Cowboy scored more than eight. This can’t happen again, or else the Pokes will face another embarrassing loss. 

If the Cowboys are able to play the same way they played against BYU, OSU will take this game no problem, but it will take every player on the team to do so. 

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