Oklahoma can't hold on, upset by Oklahoma State, 71-70
Defended by Oklahoma State senior forward Anthony Brown, Oklahoma sophomore forward Blake Griffin loses control of the ball in the second half of the Sooners' 71-70 loss to Oklahoma State on Thursday at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City.
OKLAHOMA CITY –- Just when you thought things couldn’t get much more exciting on Day Two of the Big 12 Championships, leave it to two in-state rivals to take it to another level.
No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 7 Oklahoma State played an all-time classic at the Ford Center on Thursday evening, culminating in bizarre fashion but resulting in a 71-70 upset win for Oklahoma State.
"A lot of emotions and ups and downs," Oklahoma State Travis Ford said. "We are just very fortunate to be a point ahead at the end, to be honest with you."
In a game with so many outstanding athletic plays, the game eventually ended up being decided by a TV monitor.
A Tony Crocker jumper in the lane gave Oklahoma a 70-69 lead with 14.2 seconds to play to the delight of the Oklahoma fans in attendance. Oklahoma State senior guard Byron Eaton then tried to drive the lane, missing a shot but allowing OSU forward James Anderson to draw a foul on Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin with 2.3 seconds to play.
Going to the line for two shots, Anderson hit his first to tie the game before an Oklahoma State timeout. Tied at 70, Anderson drilled his next free throw, putting the Cowboys up 71-70.
Oklahoma’s Taylor Griffin grabbed the ball and inbounded it with a baseball pass to his brother, Blake. Blake fought off contact to heave up a 3-point shot that fell off the rim short. The Oklahoma State fans and players began celebrating, only to realize the clock had never started, sitting dormant at 2.3 seconds.
Asked if he thought there was a foul on the inbound, Griffin replied affirmatively.
"Yes. Same play as before," Griffin said of the foul that sent Anderson to the line. "We were both going for the ball. I had the ball. He ran into me. Exact same play, different call."
The officials convened around the TV monitor for 2-3 minutes before eventually deciding the final play by Oklahoma occurred over a span longer than 2.3 seconds.
The bizarre ending only further adds to the game’s lore in Big 12 tournament history.
Although all of the scouts’ eyes were undoubtedly on Blake Griffin, a shoo-in for National Player of the Year honors, OSU’s Eaton stole the show. Eaton finished with 16 points, seven assists and only one turnover and made several mammoth plays down the stretch.
In addition to driving the hoop and consistently drawing fouls in the second half, Eaton routinely finished despite contact and made an incredible spinning pass through traffic at one point to find OSU senior guard Terrel Harris for a three from the corner.
Barring an unlikely meeting in the NCAA Tournament, the game was likely Eaton's last against Oklahoma.
"They beat me eight or nine times, but I got the last one," Eaton said.
Although the result didn't turn out in his favor, Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel came away extremely impressed with the atmosphere at the Ford Center, which featured a near 50/50 split between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State fans.
"You could feel the energy," Capel said. "It was like a NCAA tournament atmosphere."
Blake Griffin led all players with 17 points and 19 rebounds.
Oklahoma’s loss leaves Missouri as the highest seed in the tournament. All three higher-seeded teams have lost in the quarterfinals today.