Game Preview: Oklahoma State Hoping to Bounce Back Against Utah
The Cowboys’ season is getting worse, but they have a chance to make a bright spot.
Oklahoma State hasn’t won in two weeks, but it is back at home and has a chance to avenge one of its road losses. In OSU’s first meeting against Utah, the Cowboys were thoroughly outmatched in an 83-62 defeat.
To turn things around in this matchup, Steve Lutz’s team will need to have one of its best performances in conference play. While Utah hasn’t exactly been one of the top teams in the conference, its 4-5 record in Big 12 play shows the Utes are more than capable of having solid performances. However, the Utes have lost two of their past three and could be feeling the grind of the Big 12 schedule as it hits the halfway point.
Game Information: Oklahoma State (10-10, 2-7 Big 12) vs. Utah (12-8, 4-5)
Date/Time: Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. CT
Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena - Stillwater, OK
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
In the Cowboys’ first matchup against Utah, they quickly took themselves out of the game. Less than four minutes into the game, OSU was facing a 12-0 deficit, and things never got much better from there. For almost the entire rest of the night, OSU trailed by double figures.
While Utah didn’t pull away until the second half, OSU’s hopes of winning were crushed in the opening minutes, something it must avoid at home on Saturday. However, that has been a theme for Steve Lutz’s team and something it did in its most recent game against Kansas State.
If the Cowboys can avoid digging a large hole in the opening minutes, winning against Utah will come down to various factors, but none may be more important than the paint battle. In the teams’ first meeting, Utah outscored OSU 46-24 in the paint and shot 22% better from the field.
While OSU’s size beyond Abou Ousmane is quite shaky, the Cowboys will need to find a way to prevent Utah from dominating inside again. Considering Utah shoots only 62.6% from the foul line, hacking players to stop easy buckets inside might be a clever strategy.
Want to join the discussion? Like Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Cowboys news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.