Cowboys, Cowgirls Set for Matchups With Significant Tournament Implications
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The race to make the NCAA Tournament is heating up for both basketball teams in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
On Saturday, Oklahoma State will have one of its most important days of the basketball season. With the Cowboys and Cowgirls each playing crucial games on their home floor, this weekend could be the difference-maker for each team as the fight to play in March Madness only gets tougher from here.
The Cowboys will tip off the day with one of the most significant battles in the entire country when it comes to the NCAA Tournament bubble. OSU will host TCU in the teams’ second matchup this season.
After a collapse in the first meeting in Fort Worth put one of the Cowboys’ worst losses on the resume, they’ll have a chance for revenge against the Horned Frogs in this matchup. In Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology for ESPN, he has TCU as the first team out of the NCAA Tournament and OSU as one of the teams in the next four out category.
While this matchup alone won’t be enough to get either team firmly on the other side of the bubble, it could very well act as an elimination game for the loser. With how tough the Big 12 schedule is, both teams need a win against a team on their level, especially OSU considering the Cowboys have two top 10 opponents remaining.
Meanwhile, the Cowgirls will tip off their big game later in the afternoon, welcoming No. 16 Texas Tech into Stillwater. After some hiccups on the road in recent weeks, this game is at center stage for Jacie Hoyt’s club.
While a loss to one of the best teams in the country, which is currently projected as a 6 seed by ESPN’s Charlie Creme, would be far from the final blow for OSU’s tournament hopes, a win could do wonders. The Red Raiders are one of the final two ranked opponents remaining on OSU’s regular season schedule, and after dropping to an 8 seed in the latest Bracketology, this game could ensure the Cowgirls move up rather than continuing their sudden late-season free fall.
Regardless of how the matchups turn out in Stillwater on Saturday, the NCAA Tournament outlook for both teams should look a bit different. With the home crowd behind them, the Cowboys and Cowgirls might just have the extra boost they need to get some big-time wins in mid-February.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.