Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Oklahoma State
Cowboys Sneak By Buffs, 87-85 In Big 12 Quarterfinals
March 11, 2005 | Men's Basketball
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Joey Graham scored 24 points, including two clutch free throws with 7.8 seconds left, and No. 10 Oklahoma State held off Colorado 87-85 Friday night in the Big 12 quarterfinals.
John Lucas had 18 points and Ivan McFarlin added 16 points and 15 rebounds for the third-seeded Cowboys (22-6). The defending tournament champions will play second-seeded and No. 9 Kansas in Saturday's semifinal.
Colorado's Andy Osborn hit a 3-pointer with 8.4 seconds to go, cutting Oklahoma State's lead to 85-84, but Graham answered with his two free throws to make it 87-84.
The Cowboys then committed a tactical foul, with Daniel Bobik grabbing Jayson Obazuaye before the Buffaloes could get down the floor for a 3-point attempt.
Obazuaye hit the first free throw with 5 seconds left, and deliberately missed the second. McFarlin and Graham then drew a traveling violation when both came down with the defensive rebound with 3 seconds to go.
That gave the Buffaloes one more possession, but Hall's 3-point try bounced off at the buzzer.
Colorado (14-16), the first No. 11 seed to reach the quarterfinals in the tournament's nine-year history, struggled from the free-throw line, making just 15-of-26.
JamesOn Curry added 14 points and Bobik had 10 for Oklahoma State, which won despite hitting only one field goal after Lucas' 3-pointer with 4:50 left made it 80-71.
Richard Roby hit four 3-pointers and led Colorado with 21 points, but he wasn't available to take the last shot for the Buffaloes because he had fouled out seconds earlier.
Colorado's Julius Ashby added a career-high 19 points and Obazuaye chipped-in 18, career highs for both. Osborn hit three 3s and finished with 10 points.
The Cowboys committed six turnovers in the first six minutes, and Roby hit his first 3-point tries as Colorado raced out to a 16-6 lead. Oklahoma State settled down after that, turning the ball over only six more times in the game, but never managed to take decisive control.
An 18-4 run over seven minutes gave Oklahoma State the lead for good at 24-20, and they were up by as many as 11 points in the second half before Colorado started its late run.
