Oklahoma State Falls to TCU in OT Thriller, Tournament Hopes Take a Hit
STILLWATER - For 45 minutes on Saturday, Oklahoma State fought, clawed, and scrapped in front of a raucous home crowd. But despite the late-game heroics and a furious push to force overtime, the Cowboys came up just short in a 95-92 loss to TCU - a result that puts another dent in their postseason résumé.
The loss drops Oklahoma State to 16-9 on the season and 4-8 in Big 12 play, and while the effort was there, the outcome leaves little margin for error moving forward. Here’s a closer look at how it all unfolded and what it means for the Cowboys.
1. The Game of Catch-Up OSU Couldn’t Quite Win
From the opening tip, Oklahoma State was playing from behind - and never quite caught up.
The Cowboys were in striking distance all night, but TCU always seemed to have a counterpunch. After Anthony Roy knocked down his first three of the game to make it 15-13 early in the first half, the Horned Frogs responded with a quick 7-0 burst. That stretch - capped by back-to-back threes from Jayden Pierre - gave TCU a 22-13 lead and set the tone for the rest of the game.
Every time OSU made a push, TCU had an answer.
Roy’s three early in the second half cut the deficit to two. TCU responded with a 7-0 run.
A Christian Coleman dunk made it 55-51. Seconds later, David Punch buried a three.
Even when the Cowboys put together a 7-0 run to close the gap to 66-64, TCU came right back with six straight of their own.
It was a game of momentum swings, but the Frogs consistently stayed one step ahead. The Cowboys trailed for 43 minutes and 26 seconds out of a possible 45 - and never held a lead.
2. A Wild Final Sequence to Force Overtime
The final seconds of regulation were nothing short of chaos.
Down 83-80 with just over 12 seconds to play, Jaylen Curry brought the ball up the floor as head coach Steve Lutz frantically tried to call a timeout. The crowd noise was deafening, and Lutz had to sprint toward the nearest official to finally get the timeout with 7.3 seconds left - precious seconds that ticked away while he tried to get the ref’s attention.
Out of the timeout, TCU fouled Curry immediately, sending him to the line. He calmly knocked down both free throws to make it 83-82.
OSU fouled on the next possession, and TCU went 1-of-2 at the line, giving the Cowboys one last shot with under six seconds remaining. Curry raced down the floor and launched a contested three that missed - but Parsa Fallah was in perfect position for the offensive rebound and quick putback to tie it at 84.
It was a chaotic, dramatic finish - complete with a substitution delay that dragged things out - but the Cowboys had somehow forced overtime.
3. Parsa Fallah’s Breakout Performance
Fallah didn’t just make the biggest play at the end of regulation - he was dominant throughout the second half.
The big man poured in 27 points on an efficient 10-of-13 shooting, including a three and a 6-of-7 mark from the free-throw line. His 15 second-half points kept OSU within striking distance, and he tied for the team lead with six rebounds.
Fallah opened the second half with eight straight points - three strong finishes around the rim and a pair of free throws - and never let up.
After the game, Fallah’s words matched his performance. He didn’t sugarcoat the disappointment but made it clear this team isn’t folding.
“It’s hard, man. Losing games like that that we needed to win, it really is hard,” Fallah said.
“But I refuse to give up on this team… We’re right there. We’re just a step short.”
That kind of leadership - especially after a crushing loss - is exactly what a team needs heading into the final stretch.
4. Curry and Ahmed Spark Off the Bench
Jaylen Curry might not have started, but he was a game-changer off the bench.
The freshman guard was a +16 in his 24 minutes - the best mark on the team in a game OSU never led. He finished with 12 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals, and had a stretch late in regulation where he almost single-handedly flipped the game.
In just over a minute, Curry had a steal and layup, found Ben Ahmed for a dunk, grabbed another steal, and drilled a corner three. That burst of energy turned a six-point deficit into a tie game and lit a fire under the crowd.
Ahmed, meanwhile, brought his usual physical presence in the paint. In just 14 minutes, he tallied four points, five rebounds, and a block, and finished +9 on the night. He’s still raw - there was a rough turnover and a pair of missed free throws - but his impact on the glass and defensively was felt.
Both freshmen showed why the future in Stillwater is worth watching, even in a tough loss.
5. Tournament Hopes Still Alive - But Barely
Make no mistake: this was a game Oklahoma State needed. TCU came into the night right there on the bubble with OSU, and this win counts as a Quad 1 for the Horned Frogs - a gut-punch for the Cowboys, who now sit at 6-3 in Quad 2 games.
But the door isn’t closed. Not yet.
There are still four Quad 1 opportunities left on OSU’s schedule - and possibly a fifth if Colorado can climb into the NET Top 75. That’s enough to move the needle if the Cowboys can string wins together.
Lutz isn’t ready to hear any talk of giving up.
“Who the hell is giving up?” he said postgame. “We have a chance to still go to the NCAA Tournament… You beat Kansas, you’re right back where you need to be.”
There’s no moral victory in a loss like this. But there is a path forward - and a team that still believes it can walk it.
Up Next: The Cowboys return to action Wednesday with another opportunity to strengthen their résumé. With six regular-season games remaining and the Big 12 Tournament looming, the margin for error is razor-thin - but the fight is still there.