Oklahoma State's First-Round Win Shows Cowboys' Resiliency

The Pokes are still playing as the second round nears.

Mar 10, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys huddle during a break in play in the second half of the game against the Colorado Buffaloes at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State is in survive and advance mode in Kansas City.

Over the next few days, OSU will look to pull off one of the most notable runs in the entire country. With the Pokes’ only hopes of an NCAA Tournament appearance likely being a conference title and the Big 12’s automatic bid, they will need to continue winning in Kansas City. 

While that task is certainly daunting, the Cowboys at least have some good news, as they’ve already made their way past the first round of the conference tournament. On Tuesday night, OSU beat Colorado 92-83 behind Anthony Roy’s 24-point night. Christian Coleman’s 17 points and Jaylen Curry’s 15 also were big in the Cowboys’ ability to advance out of the first round.

COUNT IT @tnblefty 👇 pic.twitter.com/nueRVxkX2x

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) March 11, 2026

The win on Tuesday night was undoubtedly a testament to the resiliency of this season’s team. After falling to Colorado in the teams’ first meeting in Boulder last month, the Cowboys battled through a back-and-forth first half before eventually gaining some separation in the final minutes of the contest.

The win against the Buffaloes was also impressive for some other reasons. While OSU shot only 5-of-17 from deep, it shot 51.1% from inside the arc and was excellent at the foul line, knocking down 29 of its 35 attempts. 

With that first-round win, OSU will play multiple games in the Big 12 Tournament for the first time since 2023 when it beat Oklahoma in the first round before losing to Texas in the quarterfinals. After Tuesday night’s victory, the Cowboys are set for a Wednesday night matchup against TCU, the No. 6 seed in the tournament.

Round 2⃣ up next! pic.twitter.com/dl8vTDZbMA

— OSU Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) March 11, 2026

In the regular season, OSU went 0-2 against the Horned Frogs, with defeats in crushing fashion each time. Knowing that they can at least play a tight game against TCU, the Cowboys will be looking to overcome their previous shortcomings and win multiple games in the conference tournament for the first time since Cade Cunningham led the Pokes to a runner-up performance in 2021.

The road ahead only gets tougher for the Cowboys, but as long as they’re able to stay on the road, they’ve got a chance to do something special. As Steve Lutz mentioned before the tournament began, playing such physical teams in the Big 12 on consecutive days is incredibly difficult, but with a veteran group hungry to prove themselves, anything is possible for the Cowboys in Kansas City.