The Oklahoma State Cowboys are set to defend their unbeaten home record against a formidable UCF team that has not lost since early November. The matchup comes on the heels of OSU’s recent 102-80 loss at No. 15 Texas Tech in their Big 12 opener, a game characterized by an impressive performance from Anthony Roy, who scored 22 points with a stellar 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Parsa Fallah also had a notable contribution with 20 points, marking his 1,000th point in NCAA basketball.
Head coach Steve Lutz has revitalized the Cowboys’ home court advantage, leading to a 10-game home winning streak, the longest for the program since 2014. During this impressive stretch, the Cowboys have averaged 94.0 points per game at Gallagher-Iba Arena while boasting a shooting percentage of 50.5%. At home, they’ve outscored opponents by an average of 16.6 points and have a rebounding margin of +8.6.
The Knights come into this game riding an 11-game winning streak after a tight 81-75 victory against Kansas in their Big 12 opener. Their lone defeat occurred against an unbeaten Vanderbilt team earlier in the season. This encounter will mark the continuation of a competitive rivalry, as OSU and UCF split their two matchups last year. OSU triumphed 104-95 in Stillwater, while UCF responded with an 83-70 victory in Orlando.
Anthony Roy is currently among several Cowboys averaging double figures, with a scoring average of 17.7 points per game. His recent shooting form has been exceptional, hitting multiple three-point shots consistently. Sophomore guard Vyctorius Miller also plays a key role with a significant contribution from long range.
UCF has showed remarkable resilience despite losing all its scholarship players from a previous season that ended with a 20-17 record. Under the guidance of 10th-year head coach Johnny Dawkins, the Knights have surpassed expectations, becoming a team to watch in the Big 12. Key players for UCF include Riley Kugel, a senior averaging 14.1 points, and Jordan Burks, a former Kentucky player contributing 13.8 points per game.
The Cowboys aim to extend their home winning streak to 11 games and even their conference record at 1-1 with this crucial matchup. They look to improve their overall record to 13-2. This contest not only has implications for the current season but also to the evolving narrative of the program’s resurgence under Coach Lutz. As the Cowboys prepare to face another ranked opponent at Iowa State following this bout, the stakes continue to rise in an intensely competitive Big 12 landscape.