Cowgirls Drop in ESPN Bracketology After Upset Loss to BYU
In this story:
Oklahoma State’s season has been a roller coaster as it looks to bolster NCAA Tournament seeding.
On Saturday, the Cowgirls suffered their fifth loss of the 2024-25 season when they faltered in the final minutes against a pesky BYU squad. The Cougars entered the game without a win over the top teams in the Big 12, but their solid defense was enough to keep the Cowgirls from getting another win.
The loss dropped the Cowgirls to the No. 24 spot in the AP Top 25 on Monday and dropped them to their lowest point in ESPN’s NCAA Tournament projections. In the latest edition of bracketology, ESPN pushed OSU down to a No. 8 seed after spending most of the season sitting around 6 or 7.
Of course, that is not the first time OSU has suffered a crushing loss to an inferior opponent this season. OSU’s first Big 12 loss came at home against Kansas, and the team also holds the honor of being the only team to lose to Houston in a conference game this season.
Those losses have shown that OSU might not be ready to compete for the Big 12 title just yet. However, the Cowgirls have also had some of the highest highs of any Big 12 team this season. In Jacie Hoyt’s third year at the helm, her team has earned wins against Kansas State, TCU, Baylor and West Virginia, the other four teams in the AP Top 25.
So, it would only be fitting if her team had another impressive performance against another top team in the Big 12. To get back into the discussion for hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, OSU likely needs to finish in the top four of the Big 12.
With OSU facing Utah on Tuesday night, it will have a chance to get another win against one of the conference’s elite and have an opportunity to move up in the AP poll and bracketology. Although Utah is on the outside of the top 25, this would be just as important as any ranked win the Cowgirls have secured.
Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
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.