In desperate need of a signature win to boost their NCAA Tournament hopes, the Oklahoma State Cowboys overcame a 10-point second-half deficit to beat No. 5 Kansas Saturday night by the score of 72-65 in Stillwater, Okla.
Kansas vs. Oklahoma State final score: Cowboys knock off No. 5 Jaykawks to bolster tournament resume
Oklahoma State’s seven-game losing streak seems like ages ago. The Cowboys have now won three in a row and have knocked off the Big 12 regular season champs.
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
The Cowboys have now won three in a row after dropping seven straight in a brutal stretch that knocked them out of the tournament picture.
Down 52-42 midway through the second half on Saturday, Oklahoma State's Le'Bryan Nash converted a three-point play to start what turned out to be a 30-13 Cowboys run to end the game. A layup from Kamari Murphy with under two minutes left put them ahead for good at 66-64 in a contest that featured five ties and seven lead changes.
Markel Brown and Marcus Smart each scored 21 points to lead Oklahoma State, which avenged a two-point loss at Kansas on Jan. 18. The Cowboys also forced 22 Kansas turnovers, helping to offset a 42-24 rebounding disadvantage.
Andrew Wiggins had 15 points for Kansas in the loss, though the Jayhawks have already clinched the Big 12 regular season title.
The Cowboys and Jayhawks each have two games left in the regular season and could be on a collision course for a quarterfinal matchup in the Big 12 Tournament if Oklahoma State remains in eighth place.
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