3 Takeaways From The Cowboys' First Loss Of The Season

Oklahoma State basketball’s fairytale start comes to a screeching halt.

The Cowboys walked into Paycom hoping to leave with a win over their biggest rivals, but they ended up leaving 9-1 after an 85-76 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners.

It was a back-and-forth matchup, with the largest lead of the game being nine. The Cowboys even found themselves only down by three with 1:30 left in the game, but a Tae Daivs dunk followed by an Anthony Roy missed three would seal their fate.

Even though the Cowboys didn’t walk away with a Bedlam win, they’re still 9-1 on the season. The Cowboys must take what they learned from this game and fix it, so that they have a shot when Big 12 play rolls around.

Here are three takeaways from the Cowboys’ first loss of the season.

Oklahoma State guard Vyctorius Miller, center, shoots between Oklahoma forward Mohamed Wague, left, and forward Tae Davis (13) during the first half of a Bedlam men's college basketball game between the OSU Cowboys and OU Sooners at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. | NATE BILLINGS/FOR THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1. The Cowboys must score in transition

Steve Lutz’s squad has grown a reputation for running the floor and playing fast basketball. This is something the Cowboys do very well and have grown accustomed to, but without it, they were stalled.

Oklahoma State made every attempt to get down the floor fast, but they couldn’t convert on most attempts. The Sooners held OSU to just seven fast-break points on Saturday and made the Cowboys earn their points. This tactic would be detrimental to the Oklahoma State squad, as they only scored 76 points compared to their average of 91.3.

If the Pokes want to continue to be successful once conference play starts, they’ll have to find ways to score during fast breaks and transition.

Dec 13, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Xzayvier Brown (1) shoots over Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Vyctorius Miller (5) during the first half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

2. Defense must be in the right position

Oklahoma State plays aggressively on defense, but sometimes too aggressively. This allows the Cowboys to cause numerous turnovers, as Oklahoma had nine on Saturday, but it can also leave them out of position on defense.

The Oklahoma Sooners are very good at shooting the ball from deep, as they’re led by Nijel Pack, who’s shooting 48.1% from three so far this season. They used this to their advantage and would pass through the Cowboys’ pressure to find the open man from deep.

There’s nothing wrong with being aggressive on defense, but the Cowboys need to find the fine line so that teams don’t continue to hurt them with their shooting.

3. OSU needs Parsa Fallah

The Cowboys’ big man missed most of the game on Saturday due to back troubles, and the Pokes definitely felt his absence down the stretch. Without Fallah, OSU was down both a defensive presence in the paint and a consistent paint scorer.

Oklahoma State would only score 36 points in the paint without its starting big man and would allow 11 offensive rebounds without his defensive presence. Oklahoma State needs Fallah to be at full power, and they must find a solution until he’s able to return.