The Cowboys mounted a valiant upset bid against No. 7 Houston on Senior Day, leading by 13 points early but falling 82-75 as Cougars’ shooting surged
STILLWATER, Okla. — The Oklahoma State Cowboys put up a spirited fight on Senior Day but ultimately came up short in a 82-75 loss to the No. 7-ranked Houston Cougars on Saturday afternoon at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The game marked the regular-season finale for both teams, with OSU finishing at 18-13 overall and 6-12 in Big 12 play, while Houston improved to 26-5 and 14-4 in the conference.
Before tip-off, the Cowboys honored their four seniors in a heartfelt pregame ceremony, recognizing the contributions of Anthony Roy, Christian Coleman, Parsa Fallah, and Robert Jennings II.
These players have been instrumental in OSU’s efforts this season, with Roy and Coleman delivering standout performances in their final home game.
Roy, a sharpshooting guard, led the team with 18 points, including four three-pointers, while Coleman contributed 11 points and seven rebounds, four of them offensive. Fallah, known for his interior presence, added depth to the frontcourt throughout the year before his injury.
Houston head coach, Kelvin Sampson even praised Parsa Fallah post-game:
The Cowboys started strong, building a double-digit lead in the first half that showed their potential to upset one of the nation’s top teams.
OSU jumped out to a 13-point advantage near the six-minute mark, capped by a 9-1 run featuring a pair of transition baskets from Isaiah Coleman. The Cowboys led 32-19, fueled by hot shooting from beyond the arc.
Roy and Clary combined for 20 points in the opening period, knocking down six threes between them. OSU carried a 41-37 edge into halftime, holding Houston to just 37 points despite the Cougars’ reputation on defense.
The second half saw Houston mount a comeback, leveraging their efficiency from the field to turn the game in their favor. The Cougars shot an impressive 50.8% overall, including a scorching 8-of-15 from three-point range after the break (42.9% for the game).
A key stretch came in the final 90 seconds, when back-to-back triples stretched a slim one-point lead to seven, sealing the victory.
Chase McCarty was the spark for Houston, erupting for a career-high 20 points on 6-of-9 three-point shooting. Freshman Kingston Flemings added 13 points and nine assists with only one turnover.
For OSU, the game was a tale of close calls and costly mistakes. The Cowboys played the highly ranked Cougars tightly throughout, outrebounding them 36-33 and dominating second-chance points 18-9. They also shot 89.5% from the free-throw line, a bright spot in an otherwise inefficient offensive outing (40.7% from the field, 33.3% from three).
However, turnovers proved detrimental, Houston held an 11-9 edge in that category but converted them into a lopsided 21-6 advantage in points off turnovers. Steals favored the Cougars 7-5, adding to OSU’s defensive woes.
Beyond the seniors, Isaiah Coleman chipped in 13 points, providing energy with his clutch finishes.
The Cowboys had a real shot at pulling off the upset, leading for much of the game and forcing Houston to earn every point. Ultimately, the Cougars’ 51% field-goal shooting, compared to OSU’s 41%, proved too much to overcome, resulting in the seven point defeat.
With the regular season in the books, Oklahoma State now turns its attention to the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, where they’ll need a Cinderella run to secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
As the No. 14 seed, the Cowboys will face the No. 11 seed Colorado Buffaloes in the first round on Tuesday, March 10, at T-Mobile Center. Tip-off for that matchup is set for 8:30pm CT on ESPN+.
If OSU advances, they’ll take on the No. 6 seed TCU in the second round on Wednesday. TCU would present a formidable challenge, but the Cowboys’ recently faced them only to barely lose. A quick turn around rematch suggests anything is possible in March.