The Cowgirls Can't Allow Blowout Loss Derail The End Of Their Season

OSU lost a rough game to West Virginia, but they must remember there is more to the season.

Oklahoma State Cowgirls guard Micah Gray (3) gestures after making a 3-pointer during a women's college basketball game between the Oklahoma State Cowgirls (OSU) and the Houston Cougars at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. Oklahoma State won 83-52. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cowgirls have run into a major bump in the road.

Oklahoma State is just mere games away from the postseason, where they are currently projected to have an eight-seed in the NCAA Tournament. OSU looked to boost its resume a bit on Saturday as it traveled to West Virginia to take on the No. 19 Mountaineers, but things did not go as planned. 

The Cowgirls were outmatched from the get-go, as West Virginia surged to a 10-2 run from the opening tipoff. The Mountaineers would only build their lead as time went on, and the cold-shooting Pokes didn’t seem to have the firepower to keep up. 

OSU shot 23% from the field and 19% from three-point range, as it put up its lowest point total of the year with 40. This 72-40 loss to West Virginia isn’t what the Pokes wanted, but they can’t let it derail the remainder of their season. 

As stated earlier, the Cowgirls are in a prime position to make the tournament for the second year in a row. Although they didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to rise in the rankings, they cannot risk falling in the rankings in the coming week. 

The Pokes have two games remaining before having to prepare for the Big 12 tournament, and both are games the Cowgirls expect to win. 

OSU travels to Iowa State on Wednesday for a matchup the Cowgirls have already won once this year. The Cyclones were ranked last time they faced OSU, but after the Cowgirls' 28-point win, they fell out of the rankings. Oklahoma State looks to showcase this kind of dominance on the road this time to ensure they don’t continue to fall in the rankings. 

The final game of the Cowgirls' regular season is against the Kansas Jayhawks. OSU has also already taken care of the Jayhawks once this season, and looks to do so again to end the season. 

Oklahoma State will have the advantage, as they’ve only lost at home once this year, and are looking to keep it that way. The Cowgirls are looking to end the year on a positive note and have momentum before playing in the conference tournament. 

OSU didn’t play its best game against West Virginia by any means, but luckily, its season isn’t over. The Pokes have two more opportunities to show why they still deserve to be one of the 64 teams in the tournament, and are hoping to do so in dominant fashion.