Oklahoma State Nearly Upsets No. 7 Houston

Cowboys fall short in close game against top-ranked Cougars

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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Oklahoma State trailed No. 7 Houston by just a single point late in the game after leading for over 27 minutes, but ultimately fell 82-75 in the final regular season matchup. The game turned on a late technical foul call, but turnovers ultimately doomed the Cowboys' upset bid. Despite the close loss, Oklahoma State still has serious work to do in the Big 12 Tournament if they want to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.

Why it matters

Oklahoma State's near-upset of the highly ranked Cougars would have been a major boost to their NCAA Tournament hopes, but the close loss means the Cowboys will need a strong showing in the conference tournament to have a chance at making the Big Dance.

The details

Oklahoma State led Houston for the majority of the game, but a late technical foul call shifted the momentum and the Cougars were able to pull away for the 82-75 victory. Turnovers proved costly for the Cowboys, who struggled to hold onto the ball down the stretch.

  • Oklahoma State led Houston for more than 27 minutes in the game.

The players

Oklahoma State

The Oklahoma State Cowboys men's basketball team, who nearly pulled off the upset against No. 7 Houston.

Houston

The No. 7 ranked Houston Cougars, who narrowly escaped with a victory over Oklahoma State.

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What’s next

Oklahoma State will need to regroup and focus on making a deep run in the Big 12 Tournament if they want to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.

The takeaway

While Oklahoma State came up just short in their upset bid against a top-10 opponent, the close loss shows the Cowboys have the potential to compete with the best teams in the country. However, they will need to clean up their turnovers and find a way to finish games if they want to punch their ticket to the Big Dance.