Cincinnati chasing bounce-back effort vs. Oklahoma State

Cincinnati is facing an uphill battle to get back into NCAA Tournament contention and hopes to make a late push starting Saturday when it plays host to Oklahoma State.

The Bearcats (15-13, 7-8 Big 12) saw a four-game winning streak end with an 80-68 loss at No. 16 Texas Tech on Tuesday. It was a disappointing loss a few days after they upset then-No. 8 Kansas on the road, but coach Wes Miller had a simple message afterward.

"Hey, we just went through a Big 12 road stretch. You play two (good) teams within three days on the road...