RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) It's not always how many 3-pointers you
hit. Sometimes what counts the most is when you hit them.
| | Oklahoma's Daryan Selvy pumps his fist after the Sooners beat Kansas. |
No. 16 Oklahoma, scuffling all day offensively, got two timely
3-pointers from Kelley Newton in the final five minutes Saturday.
That sparked the Sooners past Kansas (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 9 AP) 62-57 in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament.
"It was fortunate we knocked down those shots," Newton said in
terse understatement.
Oklahoma (25-6), which also hit 13 of its last 14 foul shots,
will face Texas (25-7) in Sunday afternoon's title game. The
Sooners swept both games from Texas in the regular season,
including an embarrassing 75-54 romp at Austin that was the
Longhorns' last loss before their current eight-game winning
streak.
"They were struggling offensively and then Kelley made a couple
of 3s," said Kansas coach Roy Williams. "That's the thrill of the
3-point line, what makes college basketball great."
Kansas (24-6) held a 48-47 lead when Newton connected with his
first 3-pointer. Then with 1:40 to go, he hit a go-ahead long one
that made it 57-54.
Kansas wasted a big height advantage, even misconnecting on
three straight lob passes in the second half.
"I'd outlaw the dunk if I could," said Williams. "For every
lob that works, there's about 20,713 that stink the place up. It
was bad decisions and bad execution. If they didn't watch
SportsCenter, they wouldn't do that."
It was 58-56 when Kansas' Drew Gooden made one of two free
throws. Nolan Johnson answered a moment later for Oklahoma with two
foul shots for a 60-57 lead.
Kirk Hinrich missed a 3-point attempt, got the rebound and put
up another. But the ball bounced out of bounds on the second try,
giving the Sooners the ball with a three-point lead and five
seconds to go.
"Those were almost prayers at that point and those prayers
weren't answered," Williams said.
Hollis Price, fouled immediately, sank two more foul shots,
denying what would have been Kansas' fourth trip to the Big 12
final in five years.
Altogether, the Sooners shot just 32 percent but made 20 of 24
from the line.
"We shoot 100 free throws every day after practice," said
Nolan Johnson. "Then we just get in the game and make them."
Former walk-on Jeff Ballard, who hadn't even averaged one point
a game during the season, put in a driving layup with 1:13 left
that sliced Oklahoma's lead to 58-56, then stole the ball. But
Newton tied up Jeff Boschee, and with 32 seconds to play, Oklahoma
got the ball on the alternate possession.
Newton had 17 points and Johnson had 16. Kansas, which shot just
37 percent, got 12 points from Hinrich and 11 from Boschee and
Kenny Gregory.
Newton sank two foul shots to give the Sooners their biggest
lead of the day at 52-48. Nick Collison erased it with a short
jumper and a pair of free throws that tied it with 3:44 left.
Johnson, saddled with four fouls, put Oklahoma back on top with
two free throws, and then Collison worked inside for another bucket
and another tie.
Gregory, who averaged almost 16 points all season, fouled out
with 5:05 remaining, taking away one of the Jayhawks' main weapons.
Kansas, an 82-66 winner over Oklahoma in their only other
meeting this year, grabbed a 30-24 lead when Boschee hit a
3-pointer in the final minute before intermission.
The Sooners shot a miserable 8-of-30 in the first half, but
Kansas was just 12-of-30.
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ALSO SEE
Men's College Basketball Scoreboard
Oklahoma Clubhouse
Kansas Clubhouse
Texas ices Baylor, advances to Big 12 final
NCAA Basketball Championship Week
AUDIO/VIDEO
Oklahoma's Kelley Newton gets another three from the corner to give OU the lead with under 2 minutes left.
avi: 1133 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Oklahoma's Kelley Newton backs up and drills the long-range three.
avi: 890 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Kansas' Nick Collison finds Eric Chenowith under the hoop for the powerful jam.
avi: 1218 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Kansas' Kenny Gregory steals the ball in his own end and is wide open for the one-handed jam.
avi: 1349 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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