KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- When Texas has a lead late, it doesn't lose. We all know that.
But what was impressive about the Longhorns on Friday was the team's ability to shut Oklahoma State down in the beginning of the second half in order to gain that lead.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Top-seeded Texas has finished off Oklahoma State 66-59.
The Longhorns will move on to face the winner of the Oklahoma-Colorado game on Saturday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma State is now fouling to stop the clock.
With 40.5 seconds left, Texas 64, OSU 57.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Just as I thought Texas was going to wrap this up, Oklahoma State has hit three 3-pointers in the last two minutes, closing the gap to three points.
With 3:25 left, Texas 58, OSU 55.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas is not extending it's lead, but it certainly isn't giving up any ground.
All the while, the Longhorns are running clock. We've got just under 6 minutes left in the game, and we just hit our under-8 media timeout. Basically, D.J. Augustin is being allowed to dribble time off because Oklahoma State's Byron Eaton already has four fouls.
With 5:47 left, Texas 56, Oklahoma State 46.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- OSU's Ibrahima Thomas' free throws off a technical foul just marked the Cowboys' first points of the second half.
During the span -- 6 minutes, 28 seconds -- Texas turned went from down a point to up by 11. If Oklahoma State doesn't make a run soon, this one could get ugly.
With 13:32 to go, Texas 46, Oklahoma State 35.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- D.J. Augustin is one of those players who makes it look so easy.
In 1:20 of play in the second half, Augustin already has five points, a steal and an assist. The seven-point stretch has put the Longhorns back on top, and it's all thanks to the super-talented sophomore.
Methinks within a week of Texas' season ending -- which might not be for some time -- we'll finally here word out of Austin, Texas that Augustin is declaring for the draft.
With 18:40 left, Texas 39, Oklahoma State 33.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma State is making this one heck of a game, despite the best efforts of UT point guard D.J. Augustin.
Augustin has pushed his point total to 12, joining teammate Damion James (13) in double figures. For Oklahoma State, it's still all about freshman Ibrahima Thomas. He ended the first half with 15 points and five rebounds. Three of his boards came on the offensive end.
The first five minutes of the second half will be key, if for no other reason we'll see if the Cowboys can maintain this intensity for more than the first half.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas freshman forward Gary Johnson was just helped off the floor by a trainer with a right ankle injury.
Johnson got tangled up while battling for a rebound with Oklahoma State forward Marcus Dove. Trainers now hoave Johnson's shoe off and are attempting to determine the severity of the injury.
With 12:15 to go in the first half, OSU 14, UT 13.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma State's Ibrahima Thomas is starting today's game against Texas similar to how he did early in Thursday's game against Texas Tech.
The freshman is being extremely active around both baskets -- he has a pair a rebounds and was just fouled while making a layup. The problem against the Red Raiders, though, was he didn't stick around long enough to make an impact. Coach Sean Sutton limited him to 15 minutes, during which he was 3-of-4 from the field and had five rebounds.
Today appears to be a different story. He just knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers -- something we didn't see Thursday -- and has 10 points and three rebounds.
With 13:45 to go in the first half, Oklahoma State 13, Texas 11.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Everyone got a good chuckle out of the inflatable Baylor mascot, Judge, Thursday at the Big 12 tournament.
The 9 1/2 foot bear just cleared rims, and he even did that crazy, walk-on-his-head deal. I laughed.
But Oklahoma State's Cowboy, complete with the oversize head, just scares me. I can deal with the chaps and the leather vest and even white bandana hanging out of his back pocket (whose gang's color is white? not scary). But that oversized head. Seriously, I might have nightmares tonight.
His face looks like he spent about 35 hours in a tanning bed, and the stubble just came from being too sensitive to shave afterward.
Shivers.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- No one is going to confuse Oklahoma State's Byron Eaton with Texas' D.J. Augustin.
Augustin has picked up the nickname "The Closer," courtesy of his late-game stability. But on Thursday, Eaton was pretty good at the same trait.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma State's NCAA tournament hopes aren't gone just yet.
The Cowboys, on the strength of several key baskets in the final 2 minutes, beat Texas Tech 76-72 in the Big 12 tournament opener. OSU (17-14) will move on to play No. 1 seed Texas on Friday at 11:30 p.m.
Texas Tech (16-15) will now await word on one of the two secondary NCAA tournaments, the NIT and the CBI.
More to come.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One thing's for sure: The Big 12 Conference would love each of it's 11 tournament games to be as close as this one.
Texas Tech and Oklahoma have traded blows, and there have been nearly 20 lead changes.
With 3:14 left in the game, Oklahoma State 69, Texas Tech 68.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Texas Tech is getting a huge boost right now from sophomore forward Trevor Cook.
The 6-foot-8 sophomore scored just two points in the first half. In less than 10 minutes during the second, though, Cook already has 13 points. He's hit all three 3-pointers he's taken, and including free throws, is a perfect 6-for-6 shooting this half.
With 10:54 left, Texas Tech 57, Oklahoma State 56.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The first half of the Oklahoma State-Texas Tech game was slow and deceptively controlled.
The beginning of the second half has been anything but. Both teams have started to push the ball upcourt at a quicker pace, and both teams have already decided to start airing out open looks at 3s. Texas Tech's Trevor Cook hit back-to-back long balls, and OSU guard Byron Eaton seems to be feeling few effects of that minor wrist injury he sustained in the opening half.
Eaton is handling the ball well and has contributed a 3-pointer of his own.
With 15:36 left in the game, Oklahoma State 45, Texas Tech 44.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Sean Sutton either thought star point guard Byron Eaton's wrist was causing too many problems or he just wanted to get the junior a rest. Either way, taking him out seems to have worked.
Eaton did not play the last 3:38 of the first half. When he left, the Cowboys trailed by four points.
However, at the break, OSU is now up 36-32 after a 13-5 run.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Oklahoma State point guard Byron Eaton is clutching at his right wrist and is in obvious pain.
Play was stopped momentarily for him, but he stayed in the game. The only noticeable effect so far is an apparent inability to dribble to his right at 100 percent. For now, Cowboys coach Sean Sutton seems content to let Eaton dribble with his left hand.
With 3:38 left in the first half, Texas Tech 27, Oklahoma State 23.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- College basketball referees are supposed to be unheard and unseen.
My only exception to that is when they are funny.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Despite a sloppy start, one that forced Texas Tech coach Pat Knight to call a timeout, the Red Raiders have surged in the last 4 minutes.
TTU's 10-0 run has put Knight's team up by eight. The effort is about control on the offensive end of the court -- the Raiders are getting good looks at the basket -- and the defensive end, where Oklahoma State has been getting good movement by nothing to drop.
With 11:34 left in the first half, Texas Tech 14, Oklahoma State 6.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It took less than 3 minutes into the first game of the Big 12 men's tournament for Oklahoma State freshman Ibrahima Thomas to make his presence felt.
Thomas scored the first points of the game with a 4-footer. On Texas Tech's ensuing possession, Thomas then blocked a Red Raider shot. Still, he wasn't finished.
On the transition, Thomas found teammate Marcus Dove under the basket with a nice pass that led to an easy basket. Combined with three rebounds (one on the offensive end), and Thomas more than appears ready for this game.
With 14:40 remaining in the first, OSU 6, Texas Tech 4.
