Instacap: Oklahoma State Falters Down the Stretch to TCU in 90-70

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Oklahoma State started strong and kept pace with a talented Big 12 team, but faded into the distance faster than the Bart Simpson gif in a demoralizing 90-70 loss to TCU on Saturday.

The 20-point margin of defeat matches the largest for OSU all season.

The only trend the Cowboys bucked on Saturday was their propensity of winning on Saturday. The loss to the Horned Frogs is their first conference loss on Saturday all season. Unfortunately, it comes at a time when it desperately needed a victory to stay in the hunt for the Big Dance.

After taking a 3-point deficit into halftime, the Horned Frogs turned on the jets and dusted the Pokes more frantically than a housemaid on deadline. Jamie Dixon’s team outscored OSU 51-34 in the second half, following up a 46.4 percent showing from the floor in the first frame with a scorching 62.4 percent in the second half.

In summation: everything fell for TCU in the second half, nothing fell for Oklahoma State in either half, and it was the difference in the game.

Kendall Smith led all scorers with 21 points on 7 of 18 shooting and Mitch Solomon, who battled foul trouble for much of the game, added 13 of his own. They were the only Cowboys to finish in double figures. Jeff Carroll, Cam McGriff and Lindy Waters made 7 of their 21 field goal attempts.

Not great, Bob!

When it was over

If I’m being honest, this one was over as soon as OSU trotted out of the locker room for the second half. TCU went on a 10-3 run over the course of the first 4 minutes and 7 seconds of the second half, and while OSU cut the lead to 7 just minutes later, the game was over.

I knew it was definitely over when, in a four minute stretch between 7:36 and 3:17, the lead ballooned from 9 to 19 and pretty much every shot was dropping in for TCU.

Player of the game

Kendall Smith led all scorers for OSU with 21, and unlike other games I’ve seen him slouch, I felt like he genuinely hustled every time he was in the game. It goes to him simply because he seems to have been the only OSU backcourt player who showed up, too.

Stat(s) you should know

OSU won the battle on the offensive glass and in steals, but that was basically the only statistical categories it won.

Because I feel they are all pretty relevant and telling for this game, here’s the shooting numbers by team. It pretty much sums the game up.

OSU: 22 of 60 (36.7 percent) from FG | 7 of 20 (35 percent) from 3-point line
TCU: 31 of 57 (54.4 percent) from FG | 8 of 16 (50 percent) from 3-point line

What’s next

With a quickly fading NCAA Tournament resume, Oklahoma State faces Big 12 leader Texas Tech on Wednesday in a must-win inside Gallagher-Iba. It’s another mid-week 6 p.m. tip set to air on ESPNU.