Oklahoma State @ Oklahoma preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 23, 2019 ) Oklahoma 70, Oklahoma State 61

Oklahoma State has looked like a quality basketball team just about every time it has stepped out of conference play, but picking up a win in the defensive-minded Big 12 has proven to be too tall of a task to this point. The Cowboys hope to avoid falling under .500 for the first time this season and put an end to their worst start in conference play in nearly 40 years Saturday when they visit Oklahoma in the 239th edition of Bedlam.

A neutral-site victory over Syracuse en route to NIT Season Tip-Off championship and a road win at Houston serve as highlights for an Oklahoma State team that owns a 10-3 record against non-Big 12 opponents but has generally struggled to score during league play, averaging 56.4 points in those seven contests (72.1 in all other games). The Cowboys were abysmal offensively yet again Monday at home against No. 3 Kansas, shooting 28.1 percent from the field and misfiring on 16 of their 18 3-point attempts in a 65-50 loss. The Sooners won their first two conference games to begin last month but have also struggled to put points on the board despite boasting three of the Big 12's top 10 scorers. Oklahoma gave itself little chance in its last game, however, tying a season high by committing 19 turnovers - the Sooners lead the conference with a league-low 10.6 per game - while shooting only 35 percent in Wednesday's 61-53 setback at Kansas State.

TIME: 3 p.m. ET. TV: ABC

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (10-10, 0-7 Big 12): Senior forward Cameron McGriff (10.3 points, 6.5 rebounds) amassed 18 points and eight boards versus the Jayhawks, enjoying his best offensive performance since a 20-point effort against Georgetown on Dec. 4. Isaac Likekele (11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.1 assists) is shooting 40 percent over his last four games after converting 57 percent of his shots during the Cowboys' 7-0 start, but he only needs nine more assists to become the eighth player in school history to reach 200 for his career by the end of his sophomore season. Yor Anei (8.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 blocks) is one of only 50 active players with 100 career blocks and one of only three sophomores on the list.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (13-7, 3-4): Junior guard Alondes Williams (6.5 points) was one of the few Sooners to enjoy any success against the Wildcats' defense Wednesday, setting a season high for the second straight game with 15 points after finishing with 13 against Mississippi State. Austin Reaves (14.3 points - 10th in the Big 12) was the only other player to reach double figures with 12, but the junior guard tied a career high with six turnovers and is shooting only 24.3 percent from 3-point range. Kristian Doolittle ranks eighth in the league in scoring (14.9 points) and sixth in rebounding (8.8), but he has failed to reach double figures in three straight games after doing so in 16 of his first 17 outings.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Oklahoma State has won four of the last seven meetings overall but is only 1-14 in its last 15 trips to Norman.

2. The last time the Cowboys lost their first seven conference games was during a 0-9 start to begin Big Eight play in 1971-72.

3. Sooners F Brady Manek (team-high 15.2 points) was held to a season-low five points Wednesday after averaging 23.3 over his previous three outings.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma 77, Oklahoma State 70