The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma State
Men's Basketball holds off Oklahoma State, 69-64, in Big 12 Championship semifinals
03.10.2007 | Men's Basketball
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Kevin Durant had 26 points and hit the decisive 3-pointer to help No. 15 Texas hold off Oklahoma State 69-64 on Saturday in a Big 12 semifinal, giving the Longhorns the rubber match in a season series that included a triple-overtime classic.
Playing in front of a partisan Oklahoma State crowd at the Ford Center, Texas (24-8) dealt the Cowboys their first loss in their seven games in the building. Texas will play No. 2 Kansas on Sunday for the tournament title. The Longhorns lost 90-86 at Kansas on March 3 in the teams' regular-season meeting.
Oklahoma State (22-12), ranked as high as ninth earlier this season, likely dropped out of NCAA tournament consideration with the loss, the Cowboys' first of the season in 12 games with all their scholarship players available.
The Cowboys beat Texas 105-103 on Jan. 16, as Mario Boggan and Durant staged a duel, each scoring 37 points and Boggan scoring the game-winner for Oklahoma State. In Austin, Texas, on Feb. 12 in the teams' second meeting, the Longhorns won in a rout, 83-54.
Saturday's game fell somewhere in between, but the finish was dramatic. Oklahoma State rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to tie the game at 61-61 on a basket by JamesOn Curry with 1:26 left.
Texas' D.J. Augustin missed at the other end, but the rebound was tipped out to Durant, who made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 46.3 seconds left.
Oklahoma State point guard Byron Eaton threw the ball away on the Cowboys' subsequent possession, and A.J. Abrams and Damion James combined to go 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in the final 26.1 seconds to seal the win for Texas.
Curry led Oklahoma State with 24 points and Boggan added 21, but the Cowboys proved unable to find a third offensive option, as no other player scored more than four points. One player who had provided an offensive spark at different points of the season, Terrel Harris, had only three points and fouled out with 7:47 left.
Durant struggled in the first half in the Longhorns' quarterfinal win over Baylor, missing his first 12 shots before recovering to finish with 29 points.
Durant made only one of his first four shots Saturday, but he soon settled in and scored the Longhorns' first 13 points, the last two on a one-handed dunk following a baseline drive.
Still, the Cowboys led most of the way until Texas closed the half on a 10-0 run than included a three-point play and a 3-pointer by Durant. Two free throws by Abrams with 0.4 seconds left gave Texas a 31-25 lead.
Only three Texas players scored in the half -- Durant had 19 points, Abrams had 10 and Augustin had two. The first Texas points not by one of those three players didn't come until 15:26 was left in the game.
Abrams finished with 20 points while Augustin added 15 points, six assists and three steals.
Oklahoma State scored the first seven points of the second half to take its final lead at 32-31 with 18:25 left. Texas answered by scoring the next seven points and led by 10 points on two occasions, the last at 51-41 with 11:39 left.
Curry scored 10 of his points in the final 5:15 to rally the Cowboys.
POSTGAME NOTES
Team
- Texas has reached the finals of the Big 12 Championship in three of the last four years.
- Texas has reached the finals of its conference tournament nine times in the last 17 years, including four times in the Big 12 (2001, 2004, 2006, 2007).
- Texas is 34-29 (.540) all-time in league tournament games, including 13-10 (.565) in 11 Big 12 Championship appearances.
- Texas won the season series with Oklahoma State, 2-1 and leads the all-time series, 36-34. Texas has won 21 of the last 31 meetings.
- Texas has a 3-2 lead in Big 12 Championship games against Oklahoma State.
- Texas has held its opponents to an average of 66.5 points per game in two Big 12 Championship games.
- Texas had a player score at least 20 points for the 31st time in 32 games this season.
- Texas has made at least one 3-pointer in 542 consecutive games.
- Kevin Durant and A.J. Abrams combined to score 29 of Texas' 31 first-half points.
- Texas' .882 free throw percentage (15-of-17) was its second-highest of the season.
A.J. Abrams
- With four three-point field goals, Abrams has 111 for the season, tying him for second place on the Big 12 single-season list with Kareem Rush, Missouri, 2001-02. The record is 118 by Clarence Gilbert of Missouri in 2001-02.
- Abrams scored at least 20 points for the eighth time this season. He has scored in double figures in 26-of-32 games this season.
- Abrams has made at least three 3-pointers in 22 of 32 games this season and has made at least one 3-pointer in 35 consecutive games dating to last season.
- After Kevin Durant opened the game with Texas' first 13 points, Abrams followed with the next eight points.
- Abrams was 6-of-6 from the free throw line, tying the UT record for free throw percentage in a game in the Big 12 Championship (6-of-6, T.J. Ford, vs. Texas Tech, March 14, 2003).
D.J. Augustin
- With six assists, Augustin moved to fifth on the UT single-season assists list with 215, passing Roderick Anderson (211, 1994-95) and Johnny Moore (214, 1977-78).
- In two games of the Big 12 Championship, Augustin has an assist to turnover ration of 10-0.
- Augustin has scored in double figures 24-of-32 contests this season. He reached the 15-point mark for the 16th time this season.
- Augustin has made at least one 3-pointer in 24-of-32 games.
- Augustin has record at least six assists in 21-of-32 games.
Kevin Durant
- Durant became the second player in Big 12 history to score 800 points in a season. He finished the game with 809, trailing only Marcus Fizer of Iowa State (844, 1999-2000).
- Durant tied the UT record for field goals in a game in the Big 12 Championship with 11. He is tied with Chris Mihm (vs. Colorado, March 5, 1999) and Kris Clack (vs. Texas Tech, March 5, 1998).
- With two steals, Durant is now alone in second on the UT freshman steals list with 60, passing Terrence Rencher (58, 1991-92). The record is 72 by T.J. Ford (2001-02).
- With eight rebounds, Durant has 363 for the season, tying him for third on the Big 12 single-season rebounds list with James Thomas of Texas (2002-03).
- Durant topped the 20-point mark for the 27th time this season and has reached double figures in all 32 contests.
- Durant has made at least one 3-pointer in 27-of-32 games this season.
- Durant led Texas in rebounding for the 25th time in 32 games this season.
- Durant scored Texas' first 13 points of the game.
Damion James
- James has collected at least seven rebounds in 17-of-31 games this season.
- James has recorded at least one block in 12 consecutive games has a total of 20 blocks in those games.
Craig Winder
- Winder's five rebounds are a career high in Big 12 play. His overall career high is eight rebounds against Louisiana-Monroe (Nov. 11, 2005).
- Winder matched his career high with three assists, which he has done on four occasions.
- Winder's 20 minutes are a career high, his previous high was 19 on two occasions.
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