Oklahoma State Completes Upset of No. 15 TCU 79-73

STILLWATER – After an incredibly strong first half, Oklahoma State had to battle back late in the second half to complete the upset of No. 15 TCU, 79-73.

With the win, the Cowboys move to 14-9 overall on the season and 5-5 in Big 12 conference play.

The Cowboys host Texas Tech this coming Wednesday, February 8, with a 7 p.m. CT tip, which will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

It all came down to the final two minutes of the game. After the Cowboys took their lead back, 66-65, on a bucket by John-Michael Wright just under four minutes, the Cowboys went on a quick 9-0 run to extend their lead up to seven, 72-65, with just 2:07 left in the game.

The Horned Frogs went on a quick 5-0 run to cut it back down to two points, 72-70, with 1:25, but the Cowboys responded and extended their lead back up to seven, 78-71, with two free throws from Caleb Asberry with less than 20 seconds left. The Frogs hit a quick bucket, then fouled Wright, who made the backend of two shots, 79-73.

Kalib Boone scored a career-high 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including six rebounds and two steals. Caleb Asberry dropped a season-high 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, 3-of-6 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 from the free throw line.

John-Michael Wright was also great as he dropped 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from 3-point range with two blocks.

As a team, the Cowboys shot 53% from the field and a blistering 42% from 3-point range. They outrebounded the Horned Frogs 33-29, including 27-21 on the defensive end. 42 of their 79 points came in the paint, compared to 30 form the Frogs.

The Cowboys jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the first 90 seconds of the game on a 3-3 start from the field, including a three from Woody Newton.

Newton missed the next shot from close, but Kalib Boone was right there for the put-back dunk, which was quickly followed by fastbreak corner three by John-Michael Wright, putting the Pokes up 15-0 in the first three minutes.

The first points for the Horned Frogs came four minutes into the game with two free throws from TCU’s Baugh. Bryce Thompson answered on the other end with a floater, leading to the first media timeout of the game and OSU up 12, 14-2.

A steal by Caleb Asberry, who saw his first start in Stillwater, at the 13-minute mark leads to another 3-pointer to put the Pokes up by 15, 19-4.

The Horned Frogs went on a quick 7-3 run, which included forcing a couple of OSU turnovers. Moussa Cisse recorded a steal, which led to a fastbreak layup by Quion Williams to end that stretch, putting the Pokes back up 13, 24-11.

Fouls became an issue for the Pokes down the stretch as they put the Frogs in the bonus with more than six minutes left in the half. That included a more than two minutes of scoreless play by the Pokes, which was ended with a monster dunk by Boone, which gave him 10 points on the day.

Another bucket by Boone and then Tyreek Smith put the Pokes back up 13 points with 3:11 left in the half. Smith hit an and-one free throw out of the break to make it a 37-23.

The Cowboys entered the break leading 43-29.

Both Kalib Boone and Caleb Asberry finished the first half in double figures, Boone with 12 and Asberry with 10. As a team, the Pokes shot a combined 47% from the field and a blistering 46% from 3-point range, while holding the Frogs to just 10% shooting from outside.

Asberry came out to start the second half and buried a deep three in front of the Pokes’ bench, which he followed up with a jumper from the free throw line after a TCU turnover and foul, putting the Pokes up 48-29, and matched Asberry’s OSU career-high of 15 points.

The Horned Frogs went on a quick 11-1 run over the next few minutes to cut the Pokes’ lead down to single-digits, 49-40.

TCU continued its run with a pair of free throws and a layup, while forcing four turnovers during the 15-1 run, and holding the Pokes to a four-plus minute scoring drought.

Thompson ended that scoring drought with a layup out of a timeout just under 14 minutes, but that was answered by a big three, extending the Frogs’ run up to 14-2 over the past four minutes. They’d cut it to a two-point game, 51-49, riding a 20-3 run over the previous seven minutes.

The Cowboys responded with a quick 6-0 run of their own, while holding the Frogs to a three-plus minute scoring drought on the other end, before a 3-pointer by O’Bannon and a dunk by Wells after a turnover by Boone to make it a three-point game once again, 57-54, with 8:12 left.

TCU tied the game at the 5:41 mark as Asberry fouled Baugh shooting a three, who made all three free throws following a turnover by Bryce Thompson. Thompson turned the ball over on the way back down the court, with Newton picking up his fourth foul, giving the Frogs a two-point lead, their first of the game, on two made free throws.

Boone tied it up back down the court, with TCU hitting another bucket, with John-Michael Wright tying it back up at 63-63. After a quick TCU bucket, Wright nailed a big three to put the Pokes back up one, 66-65 out of a timeout just under four minutes left.

Including Wright’s three, the Cowboys finished the game on a 13-8 run to close it out.