How Does The Cowgirls' Big 12 Tournament Loss Affect Their NCAA Tournament Situation?

The Cowgirls did not leave Kansas City, Missouri, with the outcome they wanted.

The Cowgirls were automatically slated to play in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament as they were the four-seed. In the quarterfinals, OSU came face-to-face with an opponent they had already lost to once before in the Kansas State Wildcats.

This third-round matchup was a back-and-forth battle for the duration of the game, with no team leading by more than nine at any point.

Haleigh Timmer would tie the game with five seconds left with a clutch three-pointer, but after a controversial foul call on Stailee Heard, Kansas State would take the lead on a made free throw and win 74-73.

Now that the Cowgirls’ Big 12 Championship hopes are out the window, the Pokes can now put all of their focus on the NCAA Tournament. However, will OSU’s quick exit affect its tournament seeding?

In the latest ESPN Bracketology, the Cowgirls were a projected eight-seed and slotted to play USC in the first round. Now, after the Pokes' second loss to Kansas State, their fate will be up to the committee on Sunday.

The good thing is that Oklahoma State shouldn’t have to worry about getting into the tournament. The Cowgirls went 23-9 and took down two ranked opponents this season to boost their resume, as well as finishing fourth in regular-season Big 12 play.

OSU also isn’t in a situation where its path will look that much different if they drop in the rankings. With the eight seed, they are currently projected to play a nine-seed when the big dance begins. If the committee decides to drop the Pokes, it’s unlikely their path changes much, if at all.

The Cowgirls' main problem is their stall in momentum. They were in a prime position to make a run with No. 12 Kansas State beating No. 5 Texas Tech, but now the Pokes will be going into the NCAA Tournament on the heels of a heartbreaking loss.

Now, even if OSU is able to make it out of the first round, they will likely face a No. 1 seed, a place the Pokes did not want to find themselves in.

It’s not likely that the Cowgirls will feel the effects of their Big 12 Tournament loss in the March Madness seedings, but now the Cowgirls will have to walk into the most important part of their season with no momentum behind them.