Mar. 2—STILLWATER — There’s no choice, Austin Reaves said.

After OU dropped a 79-75 heartbreaker to Oklahoma State at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Monday night, the Sooners have to figure out a way not to let three consecutive losses — their longest losing streak of the season — turn into something more.

“It’s always frustrating when you lose, but I mean you have to bounce back,” Reaves said. “That’s three in a row. Now we have to figure out a way to be successful. We have to go back, watch film, practice, do whatever. Really just fight, honestly. I feel like we played hard tonight.”

Then Reaves turned the attention on himself. “I had a really, really bad turnover in the last minute of the game, which is unacceptable.”

Heading into last Tuesday’s game at Kansas State, the Sooners were alone in second place in the Big 12 with a look toward elevating potentially as high as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

After Monday’s loss, the Sooners sit in sixth place. Texas Tech could conceivably pass OU and relegate the Sooners to the No. 7 seed and force OU into having to play in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament.

It will take either a Sooners win over No. 15 Texas on Thursday at home or a Texas Tech loss to either TCU, Iowa State or Baylor this week to assure OU a top-six spot and a bye into next Thursday’s Big 12 quarterfinals.

And while the Cowboys’ tournament stock is skyrocketing, the Sooners’ is shaky. OU is firmly in the tournament but their potential seed has dipped significantly with the losing streak.

Sooners coach Lon Kruger, as he has for most of the past two weeks, even before the loss to Kansas State to start the slide, pointed toward the offensive end as a necessary spot for improvement.

“We have to be more efficient, more effective, on offense especially,” Kruger said. “Huge challenge right up again Thursday.”

Monday, Reaves was just 5 of 14 from the floor — 2 of 8 from inside the 3-point line — to finish with 19 points.

The Cowboys took 13 more free throws than the Sooners — 27 to 14 — while OU attempted 34 3-pointers, their third-most of the season.

Oklahoma State got to the line 53 times in their two Bedlam victories. OU hadn’t allowed more than 36 in any two consecutive games before the last two.

“I feel like we had chances at the rim,” Reaves said. “I think they’re top two, maybe No. 1 in the conference in shot-blocking. They’re big around the rim. Cade (Cunningham)’s tall, long athletic. I mean, you really just gotta pick and choose what you do against a team like that.

“Obviously there’s times where we probably could’ve did something else. But that’s basketball.”

The Sooners have dropped three games by a combined 13 points over the last week.

“The last three games were really close, down-to-thewire games,” Reaves said. “I mean, the ball bounces one way and goes the other, you win those games.

“So really the main message is keep fighting, stay mentally locked in and just honestly listen to Coach Krug(er).”