Oklahoma State Needs to Shoot Better on Free Throws

The Cowboys can get to the foul line, but they can’t capitalize.

On Saturday, Oklahoma State beat Colorado 83-73 to earn its second conference win of the season. OSU carried a 10-point lead into halftime and held its advantage around that mark throughout the second half.

To earn that lead in the first half, the Cowboys had a parade to the free-throw line. Eventually finishing with a 31-of-42 mark from the foul line, OSU’s ability to get calls and get free throws was the determining factor in its win.

Throughout the season, getting to the line has been a strength for the Cowboys, ranking in the top 15 in the nation in attempts and makes. However, their raw number of attempts doesn’t necessarily mean the foul line has been a positive for the Cowboys this season.

Despite being near the best in the country in getting to the line, OSU ranks 152nd in free-throw percentage at 72.5%. That number drops to 68.5% in its six Big 12 games to rank 12th in the conference.

OSU’s season has gone like many others over the past few years. A solid nonconference slate that included some rough losses turned into a poor start to Big 12 play, with the Cowboys desperately trying to get out of a hole before it’s too late.

With another 14 conference games remaining, there is still plenty of time for OSU to turn things around. For the Cowboys to consistently compete in conference play, they will need to start having some stellar performances at the foul line.

In Big 12 play this season, OSU has four losses by a combined 69 points. OSU has also left 30 points at the line across those contests. Although even a 100% mark from the foul line wouldn’t have changed any of those results on its own, it would’ve kept the Cowboys much closer.

One of the key issues with OSU’s free-throw shooting is that it hurts the team’s chances of being within striking distance at the end of a game. Crazy comebacks happen all the time in college basketball, but OSU is never in a position to make something happen.

Becoming a great free-throw shooting team won’t suddenly make the Cowboys an NCAA Tournament team, but it could make them far more competitive in Big 12 play.

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