What Does Cowboy Basketball's Loss To Iowa State Mean For The Rest Of The Season?

The Cowboys might have lost, but this loss could actually give OSU hope.

Oklahoma State was handed its third loss of the season, as the Pokes lost a tough battle to No. Iowa State 83-71. OSU is now 1-2 in Big 12 play and is looking to bounce back with multiple games coming up against unranked opponents. However, just because the Pokes lost to the Cyclones doesn’t mean the game was a total loss.

Iowa State is a good basketball team; there is no doubt about it. The Cyclones have been ranked the No.3 team in the country for two weeks straight and are now 16-0. They also have the second-largest margin of victory in the country as they win each game by more than 25 points on average.

Iowa State is one of the best shooting teams in the nation, as they shoot 52.3% from the floor and 41.3% from three on average. Additionally, the Cyclones are one of the best defensive teams in the country as they hold opponents to less than 63 points per game and force the second-most turnovers per game with 17.1.

Considering all these incredible accolades to Iowa State's name, the Cowboys played them considerably well in Saturday’s matchup. Oklahoma State was actually able to get out to an early lead against the Cyclones before falling behind going into the half. Even after falling behind, the Cowboys stuck around throughout the second half and gave Iowa State a run for its money.

Parsa Fallah once again led the charge for the Pokes as he had a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Fallah has continued to produce for the Cowboys and is truly becoming the Pokes most reliable option game after game.

Anthony Roy wasn’t far behind as the senior guard had 19 points and made five threes in Saturday’s bout. Roy has been the bright spot in the Cowboys’ three-point shooting all year and has continued to deliver.

One of the biggest things the Pokes must improve on is turnovers. OSU turned the ball over 15 times against the Cyclones and allowed Iowa State to have 15 points off these turnovers. These extra possessions for the Cyclones helped them to pull away and hindered the Pokes from completing their biggest upset of the year.

Even though Saturday’s game will go down as a loss, the Pokes shouldn’t be discouraged about their performance. They went toe-to-toe with one of college basketball’s best teams and held their heads high throughout.

With this confidence going into the rest of conference play, the Cowboys are ready to show why they are a real threat this year.