Big 12 Conference Tournament Opening Round: No. 9 Oklahoma State spoiled No. 8 Texas Tech coach Pat Knight’s debut in the Big 12 Tournament with a 76-72 victory. The Cowboys came back from a five-point deficit late in the second half as junior guard Byron Eaton broke a 71-71 with a jumper in the final minute and helped seal the win with a free throw. Freshman swingman James Anderson led Oklahoma State with 18 points.
No. 12 Colorado shocked No. 5 Baylor 91-84 in double overtime to move into the Big 12 quarterfinals against No. 4 Oklahoma. Senior guard Richard Roby led the Buffaloes with 32 points and 12 rebounds. He played 50 minutes in the game. Senior guard Marcus Hall added 25 points and 10 assists for Colorado, which delivered a serious blow to Baylor’s NCAA Tournament profile.
No. 7 Nebraska shut down No. 10 Missouri, holding the Tigers to 31.6 percent shooting from the field in a 61-56 win. The Cornhuskers were led by senior center Alex Maric with 17 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Nebraska will play No. 2 Kansas in the quarterfinals.
No. 6 Texas A&M beat No. 11 Iowa State 60-47 despite battling illnesses to key players. Freshman forward DeAndre Jordan missed the game, and senior forward Joseph Jones played only 15 minutes because of stomach flu symptoms. Senior guard Dominique Kirk and sophomore guard Donald Sloan led the Aggies with 12 points apiece, and Texas A&M held the Cyclones to 27.4 percent shooting from the field. Texas A&M moves on to play No. 3 Kansas State. [3/13/08]
