3 Takeaways From The Cowboys' Loss To Arizona State

The Pokes couldn't get the job done, as they left Arizona winless after an 85-76 loss to ASU.

Feb 7, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Steve Lutz watches from the sidelines during the first half of the game against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Things just got way more difficult for Oklahoma State. 

The Cowboys fell short for their second game in a row, losing to the Arizona State Sun Devils 85-76. Parsah Fallah and Anthony Roy led the Cowboy effort, as they each scored 16 points, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to escape Tempe with a win. 

This loss throws a wrench in Steve Lutz and the Cowboys’ plans as the road to the NCAA Tournament just became more difficult. The Pokes will have to learn from this disappointing outing and must make it their last letdown of the season

Here are three takeaways from OSU’s loss to Arizona State. 

1. Turnovers make it hard to win

Losing the turnover battle makes it hard to win a game, especially when your opponent takes advantage of your turnovers so well. The Cowboys turned the ball over 17 times compared to ASU’s 11. These mistakes gave the Sun Devils all the room they needed, as they scored 26 points off of Cowboy turnovers. 

The Pokes were only able to score 13 points off of Arizona State’s mistakes and, in the end, paid for that 13-point differential. It will be imperative that the Cowboys control the ball better in this final stretch of games, or this could become the new norm. 

2. Too many second-chance points

The Pokes got out-rebounded on both sides of the ball, especially on the offensive side. The Sun Devils had 19 offensive rebounds and scored 24 second-chance points. This was the most offensive rebounds the Pokes have allowed since 2021, and it was another costly factor in the OSU loss. 

These second-chance points took away any momentum the Cowboys tried to build, and forced the defense to work overtime. The Poke defense has struggled at points this year, and allowing your opponent two chances to score makes it that much harder. 

3. Must play perfect

With another loss to the Cowboys overall and Big 12 record, the road to the NCAA Tournament is starting to shrink. However, the road still isn’t impossible. 

The Pokes still have seven games remaining, two of which are against top-10 ranked teams. If OSU can run the table against all of its unranked opponents, and then find a way to win at least one of the ranked matchups, there is still a case for a Pokes berth.

Oklahoma State will have to play its best basketball of the season if it wants the postseason to become a reality, and it must start this play right away.

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