Three Takeaways from Oklahoma State's Loss to Baylor

Takeaways from the Cowboys' home loss to the Bears.

Jan 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Cameron Carr (43) controls the ball as Iowa State Cyclones guard Killyan Toure (27) defends during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State faced off against Baylor on Tuesday night, hoping to get back into the win column amid conference play.

Ultimately, the Pokes fell well shy, losing 94-79, and falling to 1-3 in Big 12 play. The Cowboys are now 13-4 on the season, having dropped three games in four tries after a 12-1 start under head coach Steve Lutz.

Here were three takeaways from Tuesday's game:

The Bears put together balanced scoring attack

Baylor only played seven players in its competitive rotation, though five of those went for double-figure scoring in a balanced attack that OSU couldn’t seem to figure out consistently.

NBA Draft hopefuls in Tounde Yessoufou and Cameron Carr led the way with 23 and 19 points, respectively. Michael Rataj added 19 himself, followed by Obi Agbim with 15 and Isaac Williams IV with 14.

The Bears shot 59% from the floor, getting plenty of easy shots around the rim, and hit a blistering 52% from beyond the arc on decent volume. Carr and Agbim led the way from beyond the arc, combining for 10 threes on 17 attempts.

The Pokes’ second-half surge

Oklahoma State came out of the half with drastically more intensity on the defensive side of the ball, and continued to hit shots. That combination allowed them to grind their way back to a manageable ball-game, with Baylor calling a timeout up just 11. 

The Bears had previously led by as much as 24, and seemed to be running away with the game.

OSU would get the game as close as 10, though they couldn’t manufacture enough offense late in the game to close the gap and get within striking distance.

Execution-wise, the Bears were slightly sharper, creating more efficient looks and rotating quicker on defense.

Cowboys' close-ups fell short

Oklahoma State shot a fine 40% from beyond the arc against Baylor, largely willing themselves back into it with ranged shooting, though they couldn't find ways to score more efficiently at the rim.

The Cowboys relied on Parsa Fallah on the interior, as he led the way with 18 points on 9-for-14 shooting. Few others players were able to make a difference around the rim, largely due to Baylor's lengthy protectors hanging around.

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Oklahoma State next takes on Kansas State at 9 p.m. CT on Saturday, Jan. 17. They’ve suffered two-straight losses to tough Big 12 opponents, and will be looking to bounce-back against the Wildcats.