No. 17 Oklahoma Gets Past Missouri 83-79

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Posted 5:04PM on Friday, March 11, 2005

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Terrell Everett had 18 points and made a key play in the final seconds Friday to lead No. 17 Oklahoma past Missouri 83-79 in the second round of the Big 12 tournament. It was the seventh straight victory for the top-seeded Sooners, who have not lost since dropping a 68-65 overtime decision to Missouri on Feb. 12. Linas Kleiza, who had 26 points in Missouri's first-round victory over Nebraska, hit a career-high 33, including 17 of 19 free throws. The eighth-seeded Tigers (16-16) used runs of 12-2 in the first half and 10-1 in the second to keep abreast of the co-champion Sooners (24-6), who will meet the winner of the Texas Tech-Iowa State game in the semifinals on Saturday. Missouri had tied a team record by hitting 23 straight free throws before Kleiza missed the front end of a two-shot foul with 22 seconds left. He made the second, slicing the lead to 80-77. But after David Godbold's free throw for Oklahoma, the Tigers only had time for two more foul shots by Jason Conley. Drew Lavender had 17 points for Oklahoma and Lawrence McKenzie had 11, including three 3-pointers. Taj Gray converted a nice pass underneath from Everett for a layup and a 77-76 Oklahoma lead with 59 seconds left, and then Missouri's Thomas Gardner dribbled the ball out of bounds. On the inbounds play, Jaison Williams hit a streaking Everett and the 6-4 junior raced to the basket for a layup, got fouled and sank the free throw for an 80-76 lead. Missouri was 33-for-36 from the foul line while Oklahoma was almost as sharp, hitting 28 of 33. Lavender's two free throws gave Oklahoma a 63-55 lead with 7:25 left, but less than 3 minutes later Kleiza's only 3-pointer capped a 10-1 run and made it 65-64, the Tigers' first lead. Jimmy McKinney had 14 points for Missouri and Gardner had 13. Jason Horton, who was held out of Missouri's regular-season finale for disciplinary reasons, drew a foul under the basket in the first half and then immediately was given a technical foul. Coach Quin Snyder then argued and drew another technical. Lavender sank all four free throws and then Oklahoma's Johnnie Gilbert hit a short jumper for a 23-8 lead.