The Baylor Bears were ranked No. 8 in the preseason. Now, after an injury-plagued season, the Bears are trending toward the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble with three straight losses going into the stretch run.
Baylor (16-12, 8-9 Big 12) intends to get things going back in the right direction as it hosts Oklahoma State on Saturday night in Waco, Texas. However, the Cowboys (14-14, 6-11) are coming off their most impressive win as they upset No. 9 Iowa State on Tuesday.
“At the end of the day, all I want to do is get a win,” said Baylor forward Norchad Omier, who posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Bears’ 69-67 loss Tuesday at Cincinnati.
“That’s what we’re striving for. … It’s a tough loss, everybody’s sad. We’ve got to figure it out for these last three games.”
Baylor coach Scott Drew was pleased to see his team’s effort in the second half against Cincinnati. The Bears came back from a 13-point halftime deficit and had a chance late. Ultimately, they came up short but showed potential.
“A lot of good things in the second half,” Drew said. “If we can duplicate that the rest of the way, we’re going to be fine.”
Baylor has won the last four meetings vs. Oklahoma State, including a 74-58 victory on Jan. 14, 2023, when the teams last met in Waco. The Bears are 12-2 at home this season.
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, stands 2-8 on the road and have dropped their last 10 Big 12 road games dating back to a Feb. 21, 2024, win at Cincinnati. But the Cowboys are riding high after the victory over the Cyclones, the program’s first Top 10 victory since January 2022.
Abou Ousmane had a terrific night with 25 points and six rebounds. Arturo Dean added 14 points and seven steals.
Asked about repeating the type of performance they had on Tuesday, Cowboys coach Steve Lutz said: “That’s the $24 question, right? Can you play this hard every night? Can you bottle up that energy and that toughness and that discipline every single night? And that’s obviously been an issue, but you were rewarded for your efforts and your toughness and your discipline and your tenacity tonight.
“Let’s do it again. Let’s try and repeat it again when we go to Waco on Saturday.”
