The Sports Network
DATE & TIME: Tuesday, March 1st, 7:00 p.m. (et)
FACTS & STATS: Site: Gallagher-Iba Arena (13,611) -- Stillwater, Oklahoma. Television: ESPN2. Home Record: Baylor 15-2, Oklahoma State 12-2. Away Record: Baylor 2-5, Oklahoma State 1-8. Neutral Record: Baylor 1-3, Oklahoma State 4-1. Conference Record: Baylor 7-7, Oklahoma State 5-9. Series Record: Oklahoma State leads, 49-17.
GAME NOTES: The Baylor Bears will look to complete their first season sweep of the Oklahoma State Cowboys in nearly nine decades, as the teams meet at Gallagher-Iba Arena for a Big 12 showdown.
The Bears have not swept a regular season series against Oklahoma State since 1922. They currently sit a 7-7 in Big 12 play, are coming off a statement win over rival Texas A&M and need just two more victories to seal a school-record fourth consecutive 20-win season. They last faced the Cowboys on Jan. 22nd, earning a 76-57 victory.
Oklahoma State downed Texas Tech, 70-68, on Saturday to snap a season-long four-game skid. The Cowboys currently maintain sole possession of ninth place in the Big 12 standings with a 5-9 league mark. All five of those wins have come at home.
With respect to the all-time series, tonight's game marks the 67th meeting between Baylor and Oklahoma State. The Cowboys currently own a 49-17 lead and have downed the Bears seven straight times at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
As its leader went, so went Baylor on Saturday. As LaceDarius Dunn missed early shot after early shot and committed a series of head-scratching fouls, the Bears found themselves unable to pull away from 21st-ranked Texas A&M. Midway through the second half though, with Baylor clinging to a slim lead, Dunn found his groove, hitting a pair of three-pointers and four foul shots to stretch the Bears' lead to 53-43. They would eventually take the game, 58-51. Dunn finished with 16 points, while Perry Jones III added 16 of his own, on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting. The Bears' defense also did its part, limiting Texas A&M to 34.5 percent shooting, including 21.7 percent from beyond the arc. Dunn, Baylor's all-time leading scorer (2,245), needs just 12 points to surpass Texas Tech's Andre Emmett as the Big 12's career scoring leader. He leads the Bears in scoring (20.2 ppg), and three-pointers made (84). Perry Jones III (14.2 pg) supports Dunn and ranks first among Big 12 freshman in scoring and field goal percentage (56.2 percent). Dunn and Jones III lead the Bears to a 70.5 ppg scoring clip. Defensively, the Bears allow 63.2 ppg.
Jean-Paul Olukemi proved to be the hero in Oklahoma State's victory over Texas Tech this past Saturday. His three-point play put the Cowboys up 69-68 with 25.4 seconds remaining. After Texas Tech's Mike Singletary traveled with eight seconds to play, Olukemi put the game on ice, hitting one of two free throws. He finished with a game-high 20 points, Marshall Moses added 14 points, Reger Dowell had 13 points and Matt Pilgrim added nine points and 10 boards. The Cowboys did most of their work on the interior, as they went just 2-of-15 from beyond the arc, but outscored Texas Tech 42-20 in the paint. Moses leads the squad on the year, averaging 14.6 ppg, while Keiton Page (13.3 ppg) and Olukemi (11.5 ppg) lend support. In all, the Cowboys score 69.1 ppg, while allowing 67.8 ppg on the defensive end. Moses also paces Oklahoma State on the glass (7.3 rpg), as it posts a plus-2 rebounding margin on the season.
Expect the Cowboys to earn the victory tonight, as they should be emboldened by a recent win and a serious homecourt advantage.