Oklahoma State hit eleven three-pointers while shooting 44 percent from deep, as TCU lost its third-straight game on Monday, 68-61, in Stillwater.
The Horned Frogs struggled to contain Cowboys’ guard Thomas Dziagwa, who made six threes on his own, including four in the first half alone.
Dziagwa finished with a game-high 23 points.
The three-game skid is the worst of the season for the Horned Frogs, who shot just 43 percent from the field as a team and 28 percent from three. TCU certainly missed guard Kouat Noi, who missed his second straight game with an ankle injury.
Noi is the team’s second-leading scorer with 14.8 points per game, while shooting 37 percent from deep.
Despite a slim TCU lead in the opening minutes, a 16-0 run by Oklahoma State blew the game wide open midway through the first half. Although guard Alex Robinson had poured in 13 points and three assists for the Horned Frogs. TCU trailed 39-30 at the half.
Guard Desmond Bane turned it on in the second half, scoring the first seven points for the Horned Frogs after only scoring five in the entire first half. The junior continued to attack, finishing a put-back dunk to cut TCU’s deficit to six with 7:44 left in the game.
This momentum gave the Horned Frogs the life they needed to put up a fight, pulling them within two with under three minutes left to play.
With TCU in desperate need of a stop, Oklahoma State guard Isaac Likekele finished a put-back layup with 27 seconds remaining to give the Cowboys up 65-59 and send the Horned Frogs back to Fort Worth with a loss.
Robinson and Bane contributed 19 points each for TCU in the contest. Bane added seven rebounds and a steal.
On the defensive end, center Kevin Samuel tied for a game-high five blocks.
The eight assists in the game by the Horned Frogs were a season-low.
With five regular-season games left to play, the loss leaves TCU at seventh in the Big 12 and on the bubble for an NCAA tournament bid.
For their next action, the Horned Frogs will return home to the friendly confines of Schollmaier Arena on Saturday for a matchup with No. 19 Iowa State. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
