Tigers lose heartbreaker

By Sam Wilson

Published Feb. 29, 2008

Thirty-nine minutes and 26 seconds of basketball had settled nothing.

Missouri had enjoyed a career night from junior forward Leo Lyons, who finished with 27 points and 18 rebounds. Oklahoma State was shooting 58.3 percent from behind the arc. Both teams entered the game 5-7 in Big 12 play, just one game out of fourth in a jumbled league.

With 34.1 seconds to go, MU took a timeout with the score tied at 73. Sophomore guard Keon Lawrence had just hit the shot to tie it. Oklahoma State had the ball, and coach Sean Sutton had his team let most of the clock run so Missouri wouldn’t have much time should it get the ball back.

In the waning seconds, Cowboy junior guard Byron Eaton drove toward the basket along the right side of the court. He then put up a runner that bounced around the rim before falling in to give the Cowboys a 75-73 lead with 1.7 seconds to go.

After another MU timeout, the Tigers had senior forward Darryl Butterfield throw a baseball pass to the other end of the floor, hoping for a miracle shot to win the game or force overtime. It didn’t happen, as Oklahoma State senior guard-forward Marcus Dove was able to deflect the ball to end the game, a 75-73 Missouri loss.

“There was only one second left, so we tried to get a lob to the basket,” Lyons said. “Maybe get a tip or a quick shot close to the basket.”

Coach Mike Anderson said it was a particularly hard loss to deal with.

“I thought it was one of the tougher ones all year long,” Anderson said. “We played well enough to win and just didn’t. We just didn’t finish the deal.”

The Cowboys went 14-24 in the 3-point shooting.

“It was frustrating,” Lawrence said. “Knowing that we were getting them down to (the shot clock) and then somebody would hit a three.”

Anderson said it wasn’t just the Tiger defense allowing them to hit the shots.

“Some of them they had open looks,” Anderson said. “And some of them, they just knocked shots down.”

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with 13 ties and seven lead changes.

Lyons got his first start since Jan. 16. Senior forward Vaidotas Volkus had been starting in that spot, but did not play at all in the Oklahoma State game. Anderson said Volkus was not injured, it was simply a coach’s decision.

“We had some other guys that played well,” Anderson said. “I thought guys came off the bench and played well.”

The loss drops the Tigers to 15-13 overall and 5-8 in Big 12 play. The team is now in sole possession of 10th place in the Big 12. The team still has ground it could gain with three games remaining. Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech are tied for sixth at 6-7. Texas A&M and Baylor are tied for fourth at 7-6. MU still has head-to-head matchups with Oklahoma and Iowa State as well.

“We’re in the race for something,” Lawrence said.