McCray’s three stops OU

By The Associated Press     Jan 8, 2006

? Joe McCray made Oklahoma’s Terrell Everett pay for his mistake.

With the Sooners trying to protect a two-point lead in the late going Saturday, Everett succumbed to Nebraska’s pressure defense and threw a pass right to the Cornhuskers’ Wes Wilkinson in the Oklahoma end.

That set up McCray, who hit a three-pointer from the wing with 5.2 seconds left to give Nebraska a 59-58 victory over the 12th-ranked Sooners.

Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson said he wanted the Sooners (9-3 overall, 0-1 Big 12 Conference) to hold onto the ball and force Nebraska (11-3, 1-0) to foul. He called Everett’s errant pass “unfortunate.”

“It slipped,” Everett said. “I was pump-faking, and it came out of my hand.”

After McCray’s winning shot, Everett drove nearly the length of the court and put up a running shot at the buzzer that bounced away, securing Nebraska’s first victory over Oklahoma since 1999.

The winning shot was a rare highlight for McCray. He was on the Big 12’s All-Freshman team last season, but he has battled a weight problem and missed playing time for disciplinary reasons this season.

Charles Richardson Jr. got a big assist on the play, handing the ball off to McCray and then setting a screen.

“Oklahoma defended well all day long,” Nebraska coach Barry Collier said. “We executed late in the game and were able to put up shots. Joe had a great screen set by Charles to get him open. It was definitely Joe’s shot.”

For Oklahoma, which had a four-game winning streak end, it was a second straight flat performance.

The Sooners won, 50-47, on Tuesday at SMU — their lowest point total on the road since 1968 — then shot 42 percent in the second half against Nebraska. They failed to score a field goal in the last 3:38.

“I still think we have a good team,” Sampson said. “Nebraska is a better team than people think. I think their crowd energized them. They took advantage of the home court.”

Kevin Bookout led Oklahoma with 14 points before fouling out with 2:42 left.

Missouri 69, Oklahoma St. 61

Columbia, Mo. — This is Jimmy McKinney’s final Big 12 season, and against Oklahoma State he played as if there were no tomorrow.

The often erratic senior guard had a career-best 23 points, and Thomas Gardner also had 23, both getting big baskets in the closing minutes of Missouri’s victory.

“It didn’t matter who was guarding me, and it don’t matter who’s guarding me from here on out,” McKinney said. “I’m just shooting because my time is running out. Hey, I’m going out with a bang, and whatever happens, happens.”

Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton said he thought he would have seen a lot more games like this from McKinney.

“When I saw him as a young player, I thought he’d be a great player, and he’s a good player,” Sutton said.

Those two, who each had three three-pointers, were the only players in double figures for Missouri (8-4), which shot 53 percent to win its eighth in a row at home before a season-best crowd of 10,171. The Tigers have won 12 of their last 13 at home, and coach Quin Snyder is 7-0 in conference home openers.

Mario Boggan had 14 points and JamesOn Curry 13 for Oklahoma State (10-5), which has lost four of its last six to Missouri.

Iowa St. 72, Kansas St. 70

Ames, Iowa — Curtis Stinson grabbed a steal with 4.7 seconds left, and the Cyclones held on. Stinson scored 17 and had eight assists for Iowa State (11-3, 1-0), which almost blew a 13-point lead late in the second half but held on for its fifth straight victory.

Cartier Martin buried a three-pointer with 50 seconds left to bring Kansas State (9-3, 0-1) within 70-69. Tasheed Carr turned the ball over on Iowa State’s next possession, but Kansas State’s David Hoskins gave it right back to the Cyclones by traveling with 16 seconds left.

Hoskins scored 25, and Martin added 21 for Kansas State.

“We just had too many turnovers in the first half. We got turnover prone,” Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge said. “But that is what they do to people.”

No. 15 Texas 89, Colorado 64

Austin, Texas — Two days after Texas lost a blowout at home to Tennessee, Longhorns coach Rick Barnes took his team behind closed doors and pushed them through a grueling three-hour practice to stress being tougher on defense.

The result: a four-game winning streak that has the Longhorns hitting their stride heading into the Big 12.

P.J. Tucker scored 24 points and tied his career high with 15 rebounds as Texas shut down a Buffaloes team that had scored more than 110 points in two of its previous three games.

“We want to create our identity right now, that we’re a defensive team,” said Longhorns senior guard Kenton Paulino, who set a career high with 18 points.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 19 points and nine rebounds for the Longhorns (12-2), who are 8-0 in league openers under coach Rick Barnes.

Martane Freeman scored 20 to lead Colorado (10-2, 0-1) which had its nine-game winning streak snapped.

Texas A&M 63, Texas Tech 55

College Station, Texas — Acie Law scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half as Texas A&M (11-1, 1-0) overcame a nine-point halftime deficit to beat Texas Tech.

Jarrius Jackson led Texas Tech (8-7, 0-1) with 21 points, and Martin Zeno had 18 points and eight rebounds.

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