3 Keys To A First Round Cowboy Win Over Colorado

The Pokes kick off Big 12 Tournament play on Tuesday night against Colorado.

Mar 7, 2026; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Kanye Clary (1) shoots the ball during the first half against the Houston Cougars at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Cowboys’ last opportunity to claim a spot in the NCAA Tournament begins Tuesday night. 

Oklahoma State is set to take on the Colorado Buffaloes at 8:30 p.m. in Kansas City to get the Pokes Big 12 Tournament run underway. The Cowboys and Buffaloes have already faced each other once this year, with Colorado walking away with the win. 

OSU will now be looking for revenge in the most important game of its season so far. The Cowboys will need to run the table and win the Big 12 Tournament to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and it starts Tuesday night against Colorado. 

Here are three keys to a Cowboy win over the Buffaloes. 

1. Outside shots have to fall

In the last bout between these two teams, the Pokes did not have much success from beyond the arc. They made only five of their 23 shots from three-point land, which affected the Pokes' overall output, as they scored only 69 points throughout the whole contest. 

The Cowboys' main deep range threat, Anthony Roy, went 0-7 from deep in the last meeting and will be looking to show the Buffaloes that this instance was just a fluke. OSU will need its backcourt to take over this game, and to do so, they must light it up from the outside. 

2. Be the disruptor not the disrupted

Oklahoma State must take advantage of Colorado's mistakes and can’t allow the opposite. In the Pokes' last game against Houston, the Cougars scored 21 points off turnovers compared to OSU’s six. 

This was also an issue in the Cowboys’ last game against Colorado. The Buffaloes scored 20 points off OSU mistakes, while the Pokes only scored 11 off the Buffaloes’ mistakes. Oklahoma State’s postseason hopes are riding on this tournament, and if they aren’t the aggressors, those hopes will fade fast. 

3. Realize the importance

This game marks the first step in OSU’s last push to make the NCAA Tournament. A loss in this game means the Pokes are done, and that they can only wish for an NIT invitation. Therefore, Oklahoma State needs to play to the level of importance this game holds. 

This is also the last opportunity for players like Anthony Roy and Christina Coleman to ever dream of an NCAA Tournament bid, as both of these Pokes are seniors. 

Oklahoma State has had a rollercoaster of a season, as they started the season so well, and then faced a harsh reality when Big 12 play arrived. It has all led to this moment where the Cowboys will decide if their hopes for the big dance live on, or are shut down for good.