Cowgirls' Narrow Loss at TCU Could Help Build Momentum
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Oklahoma State is still looking to prove itself as a Big 12 contender, but the road is only getting tougher.
On Wednesday night, OSU women’s basketball lost 69-61 at No. 13 TCU in Fort Worth. The Cowgirls did their best to keep up with one of the top teams in the country, but they were simply unable to get over the hump in the final minutes and get the win.
Of course, last season, the Cowgirls’ win against TCU in Gallagher-Iba Arena was one of their signature victories of the entire year. That win against the Horned Frogs in 2025 helped vault the Cowgirls in the Big 12 title picture and helped them prove they could be a legitimate threat to the conference’s elite.
While OSU wasn’t able to come away with a win in Fort Worth in this season’s matchup, it was still able to prove that it’s far from just another team in the middle of the pack. Prior to the Horned Frogs’ first loss of the year at Utah, they were unbeaten with only one game within 10 points, which came against a top 10 NC State squad on the road.
As for the Horned Frogs’ home games, their closest matchup before Wednesday was a 22-point win over Kansas State earlier in conference play. So, the Cowgirls’ loss was still quite impressive on a number of levels despite not getting the final result they were looking for.
The matchup was also a great example of how this OSU team might be able to be even better than it was last season. Despite shooting 4-of-18 from deep and 40% overall, OSU’s defense and overall effort was still enough to keep a top 15 team from ever pulling away on its home floor.
TCU’s lead never eclipsed 10 points, and the Cowgirls even had a lead with just under seven minutes remaining. While the home-court advantage likely helped TCU gain a small bit of separation toward the end of the game, OSU fought hard for a full 40 minutes.
While these losses and moral victories aren’t what Jacie Hoyt’s team is ever aiming for when it steps on the floor, losing games like this against quality opponents should give the Cowgirls a bit of motivation moving forward. Whether that motivation will lead to the Big 12 results OSU expects is yet to be seen, but the Cowgirls can’t be too upset about what happened in Fort Worth.
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.