Both Oklahoma State and Utah have had a full week to consider what they need to improve to save their seasons.
The answer, in both cases, ought to come down to defense.
The two most porous scoring defenses in the Big 12 Conference will try to plug their holes when the Cowboys visit the Utes on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.
Utah (9-11, 1-6 Big 12) is third-to-last in the conference standings and dead last in scoring defense at 81.5 points per game allowed. Oklahoma State (14-6, 2-5) ranks second-to-last in the category at 80.4 ppg allowed.
The Utes were sent packing by No. 13 BYU as their rivals won 91-78 last Saturday to sweep the season series. Star freshman AJ Dybantsa dropped 43 points on Utah by making 15 of 24 shots overall and 4 of 5 from the arc.
It was Utah’s third time allowing a team to score at least 90 points this season, which offset the offense’s season-best 13 3-pointers on 21 attempts.
“We shoot 60 percent from 3 and we still get beat pretty good,” Utah coach Alex Jensen said. “The problem is, I think as individuals in a group, you got to take pride in guarding the guy you have; regardless of what scheme we are in, you have to take pride in defense.”
The Cowboys also had to deal with a highly ranked opponent in their last game. No. 9 Iowa State ran roughshod over Oklahoma State to take a 51-21 lead into halftime in Stillwater last weekend. The Cowboys made the final margin a more respectable 84-71, marking their fourth loss in five games.
“The team showed in the second half what we can be,” Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz said. “But it’s a 40-minute game. You’ve got to be able to do that from the opening tip.
“… If you can do that to the No. 9 team in the country, why can’t you do that consistently throughout?”
Oklahoma State’s leading scorer, Anthony Roy (17 ppg), was held to seven by Iowa State on 2-of-10 shooting. Kanye Clary and Jaylen Curry each had 19 points.
For Utah, Keanu Dawes scored 23 points and Terrence Brown supplied 22 in the loss at BYU. Brown ranks third in the Big 12 at 22.2 points per game. Dawes averages 12.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, the latter fifth among Big 12 players.
