No. 1 Baylor suffers second straight loss as Oklahoma State pulls the upset
WACO, Texas — Bryce Thompson delivered.
Oklahoma State’s transfer guard had his best performance of his young career, leading to the Cowboys’ signature win in a season of ups and downs.
Thompson scored 19 points to lead the slumping Cowboys to a stunning 61-54 upset of No. 1-ranked Baylor on Saturday in the Ferrell Center.
OSU (9-7, 2-3 Big 12) salvaged a road trip that was nothing but gloom in a huge way.
Now, the Cowboys get a much-needed break before playing TCU on Wednesday in Stillwater.’
Here are three quick takeaways from the huge win:
Bryce Thompson’s day
Ferrell Center was as loud as it had been all day.
Baylor was finally within single digits late in the game. The Cowboys looked to almost be reeling.
And Thompson had an answer, just like he did all day.
He was tightly defended as he dribbled, pulled up and sunk a jump shot. OSU’s lead was back to 11.
And it was an exclamation point on Thompson’s best day as a Cowboy.
The Kansas transfer and former Tulsa Booker T. Washington star scored almost at will while playing his best defense of the year.
He had a huge five-point outburst in the first half, hitting a 3 with 2:40 remaining for a 15-point lead. Then he got a steal and went coast-to-coast for a dunk and 17-point advantage.
Later, Thompson hit another big jumper with 4:17 remaining. Baylor had cut the deficit to six. But Thompson stopped the momentum and again silenced the crowd.
But his biggest moments were in the final 23.8 seconds. He had four free shots, he had a huge steal and he dunked in the final seconds to end the game.
Defense stifles Baylor
The Bears’ offense had little answer for the Cowboys.
OSU built an 18-point lead in the first half, looking like the team it was built to be. They led by 17 in the second half.
And it was primarily behind a defense that thwarted Baylor’s usually strong shooting.
The Bears shot 25.8% in the first half and 37% in the second half.
And when they cut the Cowboys’ lead to one with less than a minute remaining, OSU forced a turnover with 26.6 seconds remaining.
Not all is lost
The remainder of what was left felt like it was at a breaking point.
And there is still fight in the players. That’s a good sign considering everything they’ve endured.
After two disheartening losses at West Virginia and Texas Tech to begin the week, the Cowboys salvaged the brutal three-game road trip.
There is no postseason, just the games they have remaining.
Jacob Unruh covers college sports for The Oklahoman. You can send your story ideas to him at junruh@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @jacobunruh.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State Cowboys upset No. 1 Baylor Bears in Waco
