Oklahoma State and Kansas State square off Wednesday night in Manhattan, Kan., with both teams riding three-game losing streaks and trying to stay out of the Big 12 cellar.
Oklahoma State (10-10, 3-5 Big 12) has lost two straight in conference play during its slide. After handing No. 1 Baylor its second consecutive home loss, the Cowboys edged TCU in Stillwater. But two close losses — at Texas and at home against Iowa State in overtime — quieted their momentum.
In their last game, the Cowboys lost to Florida 81-72 in the Big 12/SEC Showdown. Oklahoma State led by as many as 16 points in the first half and carried a 45-32 lead into the locker room. But Florida came charging back in the second half.
“It’s tough because we played the right way in the first half and the right way gave us an opportunity to have a double-digit lead on a talented team on the road after having struggled this week,” head coach Mike Boynton said on the postgame radio broadcast. “But to come out in the second half and not have that same edge, that same competitive mindset is really, really disappointing.”
K-State (10-10, 2-6) had gained some momentum with back-to-back wins over ranked teams Texas and Texas Tech and a close loss to Kansas, but the Wildcats also have lost three straight.
In their last conference game, the Cats lost to No. 4 Baylor 74-49, K-State’s worst loss of the season. Then, in the Big 12/SEC Showdown, K-State fell to Ole Miss 67-56. Mark Smith and Nijel Pack combined for 38 of the team’s 56 points.
Despite their struggles, head coach Bruce Weber still finds a silver lining.
“I think the crazy thing is if we can find a way to win, we could be tied for fifth place,” he said. “After what we’ve all been through, the COVID, injuries, all of that, all we can do now is just keep getting better and deal with what we have.
“Now you got Oklahoma State. They’re very, very athletic. They’re very talented, they got good depth. They keep coming at you.”
–Field Level Media
