3 Keys To A Cowboy Upset Over Houston

Oklahoma State is preparing for its regular-season finale against the No. 7 Cougars.

Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz gestures during a BIG 12 men's college basketball game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys (OSU) and the BYU Cougars at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cowboys’ last game of the regular season is one of their toughest challenges of the year. 

Oklahoma State is coming into the last game of the year off the heels of a thrilling overtime victory over UCF. The Cowboys are currently 18-12 on the year and are fighting to take any momentum they can muster into the upcoming Big 12 Tournament. 

Their opponent is the No.7 Houston Cougars. Houston is 25-5 and is currently sitting in second in the Big 12. Houston is known to have one of, if not the best, defenses in the country and will be looking to smother the Cowboys from the jump. 

Oklahoma State’s only path to the NCAA Tournament seems to be by winning the Big 12 tournament. This game against Houston will give OSU one final shot to see how it compares to the best of the best, and will allow it to take momentum into the biggest part of its season. 

Here are three keys to a Cowboy upset over Houston. 

1. OSU must start hot

Houston is the best in the nation when it comes to taking over first halves. Opponents average 29 points against the Cougars in the opening half, the lowest in the nation. OSU has struggled at times to open games strongly, and this game cannot be one of those instances. 

If the Pokes fail to come out of the gate hot, Houston will remain in control of this game for the entire duration. 

2. Turnovers

Houston leads the nation in turnovers per game, as the Cougars average only 8.3 turnovers per game. Not to mention, they force their opponents to turn the ball over 14 times per game on average. 

Oklahoma State already has little room for error in this bout, and turnovers aren’t something the Pokes can afford to tolerate. OSU already turns the ball over 12.3 times per game, and will need to limit this to have a shot at beating the Cougars. 

3. Anthony Roy

The Cowboys' leading scorer came in clutch last game as his 27 points secured OSU a win over tournament hopeful UCF. Now he will have to play even better to lead the Pokes over one of the best teams they have seen all year. 

Roy averages 16.7 points per game this season and shoots almost 40% from deep. Oklahoma State needs Roy to step up once again, especially with Parsa Fallah out for the season. If Roy can score efficiently, the Cowboys have a shot to shock the world, but if he can’t, it’ll be a long night for the Pokes.