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Oklahoma State Basketball: Cowboys favored against Baylor

By Andrew Miller

Feb 4, 2017; Morgantown, WV, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Jeffrey Carroll (30) celebrates with fans after beating the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2017; Morgantown, WV, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys guard Jeffrey Carroll (30) celebrates with fans after beating the West Virginia Mountaineers at WVU Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oklahoma State basketball team enters their matchup with the no. 6 Baylor Bears as 1.5 point favorites after beating West Virginia in Morgantown.

The Oklahoma State basketball team faces the no. 6 Baylor Bears tonight at Gallagher-Iba Arena at 6 p.m. CT in Stillwater. OK State enters this game riding a five-game winning streak, including four straight victories in conference play.

The first time around, the Bears defeated the Cowboys in Waco 61-57. This time around, the Pokes enter as 1.5 point favorites over the Bears. That is truly amazing considering the Bears enter with a record of 20-3 (7-3 Big 12), while the Pokes enter with a record of 15-8 (4-6 Big 12).

However, it seems like if the Cowboys can defeat West Virginia on the road, then they have a great chance to defeat the Bears at home. A win tonight would give the Pokes undeniable momentum heading into the final stretch of the Big 12 slate.

BU lost to the Kansas State Wildcats in their last meeting 56-54, at home. That was part of a crazy Saturday in college hoops that saw the three top teams in the Big 12 lose to unranked opponents at home. The no. 3 Kansas Jayhawks were the other Big 12 team that lost at home.

Sophomore point guard Jawun Evans is the spearhead of this hot streak for the Cowboys. He averages 18.3 points per game, 5.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.0 steals. Evans scored 18 points in the OK State victory over WVU.

Junior forward Jeffrey Carroll reached double figures scoring once again against WVU. He scored 20 points shooting 7-11 from the field. Carroll and senior shooting guard Phil Forte need to have a big game tonight for the Pokes to come out with a win.

The biggest worry for the Pokes should be BU’s senior forward Johnathan Motley. He averages 16.2 points per game, 9.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 blocks. Motley posted a double-double in each of the last two games.

BU and OK State are trending in opposite directions right now. The Bears have lost two straight against KSU and KU. Meanwhile, the Pokes have won five in a row and are the hottest team in the conference. Taking advantage of that momentum will be a huge key for the Pokes tonight. They can get one game closer to .500 in conference play.

OK State’s next test comes against the Texas Longhorns, so this matchup with BU tonight is extremely important. Winning seven in a row won’t be too far out of reach if six victories in a row is achieved tonight.

Next: Cowboys non-conference slate ranked as ninth toughest

The over/under for tonight’s matchup sits at 145 points. The game tips off a 6 p.m. CT at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater and you can catch the game on ESPNU.

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