Texas Tech hands OSU seventh straight Big 12 loss
STILLWATER — This time last month, Tanner Taylor was a student manager. Gabe Simpson was a walk-on football player. Dee Mitchell and Cade Wagner were students, with no “athlete” to follow.
All four were on the floor for Oklahoma State in the final minutes of a 78-50 loss to Texas Tech on Wednesday in GallagherIba Arena. It was OSU's seventh straight Big 12 defeat, the Cowboys' longest conference losing streak since 2013-14. The loss dropped OSU to 30-30 in two seasons under coach Mike Boynton and guaranteed the program's sixth straight campaign without a winning Big 12 record.
Texas Tech (20-5 overall, 8-4 Big 12) entered as one of the nation's best defensive teams, and the Cowboys made them look it. With 23 points at halftime, OSU stayed there until the 13:57 mark of the second half when Lindy Waters made a jumper, ending a 15-point Red Raider run.
Even after the shot, the Cowboys (9-15, 2-9) trailed 59-25, facing their largest home deficit in 11 days. After a late rally against Kansas State prevented what would've been OSU's largest home loss, the 2018-19 Cowboys again flirted with infamy, falling behind by as many as 37. They spent much of the second half trailing by more than the 33 the 1965-66 Cowboys lost to Kansas by. But again, a too-little, too-late spurt, this one a 13-0 run, helped the Cowboys dodge an unwanted record.
Like many of OSU's opponents since the Cowboys increased their use of zone defenses following the dismissal of three players, the Red Raiders found success from 3 while neutralizing OSU's offensive efforts. Even halfway through the second half, Texas Tech had as many makes from deep as the Cowboys had from the floor.
Tech guard Mark Mooney was a marksman, making each of his five 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, Thomas Dziagwa, OSU's 3-point specialist, missed his first eight shots overall, including six from deep, before making a 3 with 4:43 to play.
Cam McGriff was OSU's lone offensive force, finishing with 18 of the Cowboys' 50 and at one point late in the second half having half of their points. He scored OSU's first nine points before a Curtis Jones 3-pointer, one of only five Cowboy makes from beyond the 3-point line.
The last came from Taylor, who went from student manager to roster member after OSU's roster to dropped to nine. Simpson, Mitchell and Wagner are products of a walk-on tryout that came the day after Michael Weathers, Maurice Calloo and Kentrevious were dismissed.
Although the walk-ons' presence sparked joy in the Gallagher-Iba Arena, the cheers faded with the game's end. Never has an OSU team lost eight straight conference games. This Cowboys team will try to avoid becoming the first Saturday at Texas.