Game Preview: Oklahoma State Looking to Upset No. 9 TCU
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The Cowgirls are back in Stillwater for another matchup against a ranked opponent.
After going on the road to face two of the worst teams in the Big 12, Oklahoma State’s level of competition will be the highest it's been all season. While the Cowgirls have fared well against some of the Big 12’s favorites throughout the beginning of conference play, they are yet to face a team of this caliber.
TCU is seen not only as a favorite to win the Big 12 but also as a legitimate contender to win the national championship. With only one loss through the first two and a half months of the season, the Horned Frogs are looking to avoid a slipup in Stillwater.
Game Information: Oklahoma State (15-3, 5-2 Big 12) vs. No. 9 TCU (19-1, 7-0)
Date/Time: Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. CT
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena - Stillwater, OK
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
After falling to Houston and giving the Cougars their first conference win last week, OSU rebounded with a solid performance at UCF to keep the Knights without a Big 12 win. Instead of trying to avoid giving a team its first Big 12 win, the Cowgirls will be hoping to hand TCU its first Big 12 loss.
The Horned Frogs’ only loss this season came against powerhouse South Carolina back in December. While that game showed that TCU might not be in the highest tier of college basketball, its other 19 games have been quite convincing. Four of TCU’s seven Big 12 wins have been by double figures, including a 40-point win at UCF and a 26-point win at Texas Tech.
The guard-big duo of Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince has been nearly impossible for teams to stop throughout this season. Prince leads the team in scoring with 18.9 points and nearly averages a double-double with 8.9 rebounds and a nation-leading 3.5 blocks. For OSU to win, it will need Stailee Heard to match or outperform Prince throughout the game.
Meanwhile, Van Lith is narrowly behind Prince at 18.6 points per game and also averages six assists. Even if OSU stops those two, it might need a cold night from Madison Conner, who shoots 45.6% from 3-point range on 8.5 attempts per game to lead TCU’s attack as one of the best outside shooting teams in the nation.
Jacie Hoyt’s team has a great opportunity to cement its spot among the top in the Big 12 with a win, but TCU will be the best team OSU has faced this season and could be a measuring stick for where the Cowgirls stand.
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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.