STILLWATER — Coach Mike Boynton’s basketball team is straddling a couple of opposing streaks.
Oklahoma State has won three games in a row at Gallagher-Iba Arena, but has lost seven straight on the road.
In fact, that accounts for all seven true road games the Cowboys have played this season, a streak they’re running out of opportunities to snap.
Yet, one of the last such chances comes Wednesday night when OSU (11-14, 3-9 Big 12) visits Cincinnati (16-9, 5-7) for a 6 p.m. tipoff.
Is there anything this Cowboy team has learned in its recent home wins that can boost their chances on the road?
“You don’t transfer anything from any game to another,” Boynton said. “What you recognize is you gotta be really prepared for what the other team does well. Last week, I thought we took a step forward in terms of the way we played on the road. We were really competitive.
“Hopefully this is an opportunity to build on that.”
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Oklahoma State guard Quion Williams (5) and guard Jamyron Keller (14) celebrate on the court in the second half of the NCAA college basketball game against BYU, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024, in Stillwater, Okla. (AP Photo/Mitch Alcala)
Boynton was speaking specifically about the 66-62 Bedlam loss in Norman on Feb. 10, which came in the aftermath of two straight road losses by an average of 22.5 points. Of the Cowboys’ six road losses in Big 12 play, four have been by 16 points or more.
While the team can benefit with some increased confidence from recent wins and close losses, Wednesday won’t be as simple as re-enacting what has gone right in those games.
“We’ll try and put a game plan together we think can be effective,” Boynton said. “But you can’t try to carry momentum from one game to another, because all these teams are so uniquely different from each other. You can’t win Wednesday’s game, necessarily, the same way you won (against BYU).
“How do you get good shots against Cincinnati? It’s probably gonna be different than how you got good shots against BYU, and different from how you did it against OU. So you gotta stay focused on the task at hand.”
While OSU isn’t going to fight its way back to the NCAA Tournament bubble, a few more wins would not only boost the confidence of the young players, but also improve the Cowboys’ seeding for the Big 12 Tournament next month.
But more importantly, the young core of this team is building for the future.
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Mike Boynton’s squad has won three straight at home, but has not won a true road game this season heading into a trip to Cincinnati,
“I think there’s chemistry throughout the locker room,” freshman guard Jamyron Keller said. “As time goes along, we’re learning. We’re still a young team. As we’re learning each other, I think that chemistry is growing.”
Four true freshmen have started games, and each have had big moments, like center Brandon Garrison, who has three 20-point games in Big 12 play, including 21 in Saturday’s win over BYU.
“This can become a lot of good things if we all stay together, which we will,” Garrison said. “I feel like we can do some big things here at OSU.”
OSU at Cincinnati
TIPOFF: 6 p.m. Wednesday at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati (ESPN+)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Can Oklahoma State basketball translate home success to road wins?
