John Holcomb: Cowboys First Conference Win Serves As Confidence Builder

Leaning on freshmen for success in the Big 12? Be ready for a thrill ride. As anyone who's been to Six Flags or Silver Dollar City knows, the highs are countered by the stomach-churning lows. It's rarely a consistent experience.

On Saturday in Stillwater, the Cowboys came through on a day the OSU family remembered the 10 lives lost in a plane crash in Colorado in 2001.

The win was the first in conference play for Mike Boynton's team, but to him, it was more than that.

Throughout his seven seasons as head coach he's placed a strong emphasis on making sure his players know the painful story of 23 years ago, of the families affected, and the importance of honoring the program and those families by playing with purpose.

The Cowboys passed that test against a West Virginia team amid an uneven season by finally finishing strong in a close game.

Freshman center Brandon Garrison rebounded from a tough Tuesday against TCU by posting 20 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Point guard Javon Small had his second straight solid game with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

As for those freshmen, Eric Dailey Jr. has been consistently improving, and if Garrison's play evens out then the Cowboys could become a pain for the teams remaining on their schedule. 

For now, the first Big 12 win serves as a pressure release and a confidence builder.

To place great expectations on what it means beyond a win on an always special, if not somber day in Stillwater might not be for everyone, but it's a start, and it's always good to carry a positive feeling going to Allen Field House for the second go-round with Kansas.