Cowboys Look to Avenge Early-Season TCU Loss on Wednesday

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State will be looking to put another coveted Big 12 win in the column as the Pokes will travel to Fort Worth to face TCU in the second match-up of the season. The Horned Frogs took the first meeting back on December, 77-76.

Since that match-up, the Cowboys are now 11-4 on the season, 4-4 in Big 12 play, while the Horned Frogs are 9-7 on the season and 2-5 in conference play.

This will be the 38th meeting between these two programs, as the Cowboys lead the series 27-10.

RV/24 Oklahoma State (11-4, 4-4) at TCU (9-7, 2-5)
Date: Feb. 3, 2021
Tipoff: 8 p.m. CT
Site: Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena (8,500)
Series: OSU leads 27-10 (9-5 in Fort Worth)
Last: TCU won 77-76 in Stillwater on Dec. 16, 2020
TV: ESPN2 (Rich Hollenberg, Chris Spatola)
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network (Dave Hunziker, John Holcomb)
Satellite Radio: XM 382 (OSU call), XM 383 (TCU call)

The Cowboys are coming off a great performance against the Arkansas Razorbacks this past Saturday, that also included a great second-half performance by Cade Cunningham. Cunningham finished with 21 points, while sophomore Kalib Boone continued his solid play as he recorded his first-career double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Related: Kalib Boone has finally turned the corner and is playing his best basketball

As for junior point guard Isaac Likekele, he’ll be looking to get back to his solid play and he should be able to as he’s had quite a bit of success against the Horned Frogs. He’s averaging 12.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game against TCU.

When it comes to the Horned Frogs, they’re fresh off a 102-98 overtime loss to No. 18 Missouri in the Big 12/SEC Challenge this past weekend. They’re averaging 68.6 points per game this season, while allowing 70.5 to opponents. The Frogs have two scores in double digits this season, RJ Nembhard and Mike Miles, a former AAU teammate of Cade Cunningham. Nembhard is averaging a team-high 16.6 points, while Miles is posting 14.6 points.

In the article I wrote yesterday about Kalib Boone turning the corner, I mentioned TCU big man Kevin Samuel and his performance against the Pokes back in Dec.

-While the Horned Frogs are struggling this season, Boone and the rest of the Cowboys allowed TCU big man Kevin Samuel a season-high 18 points and seven blocks in the 77-76 loss back in Jan.

"Honestly, we can’t give him as much as we gave up last game we played him, which was like offensive rebounds and easy rolls to the rim and stuff,” Boone said of trying to limit TCU’s Kevin Samuel. “That first game I didn’t play with energy and I didn’t set a tone for the rest of the bigs. I’ve got to come in and set a tone for [Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe], Keylan (Boone) and Bernard (Kouma). I’ve just got to set a tone for the bigs. If I get punked then that gives Samuel motivation against the bigs. We’ve been playing good lately, so I’ve just got to step up from last time."-

For the Cowboys to have success on Wednesday, they’re going to need continued solid play down low from Ka. Boone, as well as freshman Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe. MA’s played pretty good these past few games as he posted a season-high 22 points and 12 rebounds against Iowa State for his second-straight double-double. That came after a 13-point and 10-rebound performance against Baylor.