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  "description": "Miller's corner three misses the mark as Cowboys fall to 2-4 in Big 12 play ",
  "path": "/cowboys-squander-seven-point-lead-lose-to-tcu-68-65-lutzs-squad-goes-scoreless-over-final-four-minutes-in-crushing-defeat/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-01-21T15:32:45.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.thestillwegian.news",
  "tags": [
    "View this post on Instagram",
    "A post shared by OSU Cowboy Basketball (@osumbb)",
    "OkState",
    "pic.twitter.com/hX1fWR4tja",
    "January 21, 2026",
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  "textContent": "FORT WORTH, Texas — As Andrija Vukovic cruised through the lane for a layup to put his team ahead by 7, those sporting orange and black attire made their presence known.\n\nOklahoma State fans praised the 6-foot-11, junior center, before unleashing “orange power” chants that bellowed throughout Schollmaier Arena. At one point, a casual television spectator might have mistaken the atmosphere for a game in Stillwater.\n\nDespite the deficit being only single digits, momentum illustrated a polar-opposite story. With 4:13 remaining, an OSU win felt inevitable.\n\nUntil all of it came crashing down.\n\n>  View this post on Instagram \n>\n> A post shared by OSU Cowboy Basketball (@osumbb)\n\nOne turnover led to another. TCU’s offense ignited down the stretch with a 10-0 run, and eventually, a scoring drought over the game’s final 4 minutes snowballed into tumultuous defeat for the Cowboys.\n\nOSU lost to TCU 68-65 on Tuesday in Fort Worth. Everything that could have gone wrong for coach Steve Lutz’s team over the latter stages of the game did. And in the end, the Cowboys (14-5, 2-4 Big 12) were deprived of a marquee win, one that would have bolstered their postseason resume.\n\n> Steve Lutz’s opening statement following #OkState’s 68-65 loss at TCU. pic.twitter.com/hX1fWR4tja\n>\n> — Daniel Allen (@danielallen1738) January 21, 2026\n\nSo, in a contest where the finish line appeared to be in sight, what went wrong?\n\nLutz said it stemmed from issues in a familiar area — defense.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n\n\n****Build It Right — Start Local****\n🪜 Tools, lumber, and job-site essentials backed by local expertise. ****Stillwater Building Center**** helps homeowners and contractors get projects done right the first time. 📞 ****405-372-5959****\n\n Connect with Local Experts \n\nA season ago, the Cowboys were neutralized off a halfcourt shot from then TCU guard Vasean Allette. Bad luck happens. It’s a tethered element of college basketball.\n\nBut this year’s collapse was different. This time, Lutz said, it was more self-inflicted.\n\n“That's two years in a row where we’re gonna leave Fort Worth with an unbelievably sick feeling in our stomachs,” Lutz said. “I thought that we played hard enough to win the game with the exception of probably the last 3 minutes. And in the last 3 minutes, I think our defense really failed us. We didn’t obviously score, as well. (TCU) went on a 10-0 run to finish the game. That’s on me, that’s on us. We’ve got to be better offensively. But just from a defensive standpoint, we just didn’t finish the game out.”\n\n## SERIOUS FANS SUBSCRIBE\n\n__This is where Stillwater's most engaged sports fans get their news. In-depth OSU and high school coverage, delivered free to your inbox weekly—stories worth talking about.__\n\nSign Up\n\nEmail sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup.\n\nNo spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Go Neers! Go Pokes!\n\nOSU ended the first half on a 12-2 run to take a 41-37 lead into halftime. And from the 18:54 mark in the second half, OSU was in control. That was in large part a result of 14 points from guard Isaiah Coleman, 13 from Anthony Roy and a defensive outing where OSU held a Big 12 opponent to its lowest point total allowed in Big 12 play.\n\nThe Horned Frogs (12-7, 2-4 Big 12) made sporadic runs, but the Cowboys answered each time. Until the final 4 minutes.\n\nOklahoma State guard Vyctorius Miller (5) brings the ball up the court during the Cowboys' 68-65 loss to TCU Tuesday night at Schollmaier Arena in Fort Worth. Miller took the game's final shot attempt, a corner-3 that sailed over the rim with seconds remaining as the Cowboys fell to 2-4 in Big 12 play. – Photo Courtesy OSU Athletics\n\nA corner 3 from TCU guard Liutauras Lelevicius tied the game at 65 with 59 seconds remaining. On the Horned Frogs’ ensuing possession, forward David Punch, who led all scorers with 22 points, cut through the lane for a go-ahead layup.\n\nLutz swiftly called a timeout with 6.3 seconds remaining to scheme a play. Lutz said the concept was multi-optioned, but he knew who he wanted taking the final shot.\n\n“It's a play we’ve worked on 50 times,” Lutz said. “(Vyctorious Miller) got what I would consider an OK look.”\n\nBut to no avail.\n\nMiller’s corner-3 attempt sailed over the rim. Coleman grasped the ball mid-air for an unsuccessful putback attempt. And moments later, Punch pranced toward the free throw line to ice the game.\n\n> FINAL: TCU 68, #OkState 65\n>\n> Isaiah Coleman was THAT close for a game-tying putback. Instead, the Cowboys’ losing streak in Fort Worth prolongs to eight games, while their Big 12 road losing streak is extended to 15.\n>\n> OSU drops to 14-5 overall and 2-4 in Big 12 play. pic.twitter.com/cQ0Q9aKh3i\n>\n> — Daniel Allen (@danielallen1738) January 21, 2026\n\n“We probably got three, four shots at the rim and we missed them all (down the stretch) — that’s a good place to start,” Lutz said. “...Obviously at the very end (Miller) had a shot and (Coleman) got a rebound and missed the tip-in, which obviously would have been a big one for us. The offense (late in the game) is disappointing and I've got to be better at helping them find ways to score.\"\n\nThus, the Cowboys left Fort Worth with an eerily familiar feeling — pure dejection.\n\nAD\n\n\n\n_****A message from Visit Stillwater****_\nRing in 2026 with excitement in  __America’s Friendliest College Town!__ From live music at the Tumbleweed and thrilling OSU Athletics, to livestock shows, new museum exhibits, and more, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!\n\n View Events \n\nThe Cowboys haven’t won in Cowtown since the 2016-17 season, having lost eight straight as of Tuesday. But in contrast to other lingering issues, that nugget was a mere footnote.\n\nWith OSU’s Big 12 road losing streak reaching 15 games, dating back to March 2, 2024, a remedy to such issues isn’t a hope. It's vital. An essential element of salvaging a season that once featured promise and potential after a 12-1 start — OSU’s best in more than a decade. Lutz acknowledged that postgame.\n\nHe also acknowledged his team’s ability to remain focused on the task at hand — establishing midseason momentum. He even cited that as his expectation.\n\nAnd with No. 9 Iowa State coming to Stillwater on Saturday for a 3 p.m. tip-off, there likely isn’t any other option for this OSU team.\n\n“I expect nothing less than the best out of our team (than to bounce back),” Lutz said. They’ve done a good job of staying with it and fighting. I expect nothing different on Saturday.”",
  "title": "Cowboys Squander 7-Point Lead, Lose to TCU 68-65",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-12T23:27:30.880Z"
}