Oklahoma State @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 8, 2019 ) Texas 58, Oklahoma State 61

It has been a rough season for Oklahoma State and second-year coach Mike Boynton, but the Cowboys' seventh consecutive Big 12 defeat - their longest skid since losing 12 straight from 2015-17 - was one of their worst in school history. The Cowboys travel to play Texas on Saturday looking for a better effort to snap an overall four-game losing streak and sweep the season series versus the Longhorns for the first time since 2015.

Oklahoma State trailed by 21 points at the half to Texas Tech and 37 with 13 1/2 minutes left en route to a 78-50 loss on Wednesday - the second-largest defeat at home since 1934-35 and the seventh-worst deficit in a loss in a Big 12 game. "Our next game, it will be zero-zero on the scoreboard. We can't come to the game thinking about the last game. That's the message we have to relate to the other guys," tri-captain Cameron McGriff said afterward. "Nobody's going to feel sorry for us in this league. It's the most competitive league in the country, so if we come in with the right mentality every night, nobody cares about tonight on Saturday." Texas, trying to mount a postseason push, led conference-leading Kansas State by four at the half on Tuesday but was outscored 19-8 over the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second half in dropping a 71-64 decision to the 18th-ranked Wildcats. Oklahoma State edged Texas 61-58 on Jan. 8 as Lindy Waters III had 19 points, made 5-of-5 shots beyond the arc, collected nine rebounds and three steals to offset 18 points and seven boards from Kerwin Roach II.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (9-15, 2-9 BIG 12): Junior forward McGriff (13.6 points, 7.7 rebounds) earned his seventh-career double-double Wednesday, putting up 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds against the Red Raiders. Waters (12.2, 4.7) leads the Big 12 in free-throw percentage at 93.8 percent, has made 25 of his last 44 3-point attempts over the last nine games - beginning with the win versus the Longhorns - and averaging 14.3 points on 65.2 percent shooting during his career against Texas. The Cowboys added former manager Tanner Taylor to the team as a walk-on and he drilled a 3-pointer in the second half of the Texas Tech game before the team even had enough time to put his name on the back of his jersey.

ABOUT TEXAS (14-11, 6-6): Roach (14.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists) scored a game-high 17 points and added eight rebounds, while freshman guard Courtney Ramey tallied 10 points and tied a career high with six rebounds against the Wildcats. Roach reached double figures in scoring for the 11th straight game and is averaging 15.6 points per game versus conference foes, but freshman Jaxson Hayes is the only other Longhorn averaging double figures in points (10.5 points on 74.6 percent shooting) in Big 12 matchups. For the season, Hayes (10.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks), Matt Coleman III (10.0 points, 3.6 assists) and Dylan Osetkowski (10.0 points, 8.0 rebounds) score in double figures.

TIP-INS

1. In the first meeting between the teams this season, Cowboys freshman G Isaac Likekele scored four points down the stretch, including a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left, to seal the win. Five points have separated these two programs in their last three meetings.

2. Roach scored 12 points and hit the game-winning runner with 1.2 remaining in the last game between the teams in Austin, a 65-64 Texas win on Feb. 24, 2018. The Longhorns lead the all-time series 50-44.

3. Likekele has 92 assists and needs 48 more to surpass Marcus Smart's freshman record set in 2012-13, and Likekele is one of just two Big 12 players - and the only freshman - averaging at least 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

PREDICTION: Texas 72, Oklahoma State 66