Big 12 Conference Tournament: No. 8 Texas Tech needed junior guard Jarrius Jackson to shoot well from somewhere, and he made his home at the free throw line. Despite shooting only 4-of-17 from the field, Jackson led the Red Raiders with 21 points in the team’s 73-65 win against No. 9 Kansas State. Jackson hit 10 free throws in the final minute and a half to keep the Wildcats at bay. Texas Tech moves into the quarterfinals to play No. 1 Texas Friday.
If No. 5 Colorado eventually makes the NCAA Tournament, the Buffaloes should thank junior guard Marcus Hall. For a team fighting for its tournament life, Colorado looked sluggish against No. 12 Baylor before rallying to win 65-61. Hall hit a three-pointer midway through the second half to start a 16-5 run that gave the Buffaloes the lead. Then Hall hit free throws in the final 10 seconds to push the lead to two possessions. The Buffaloes play No. 4 Texas A&M Friday in a game that could become a de facto NCAA Tournament elimination game.
No. 7 Oklahoma State started defense of its Big 12 title by beating No. 10 Iowa State 79-70, ending any hopes the Cyclones had of making a run to the NCAA Tournament. Junior forward Mario Boggan led the Cowboys with 23 points, and sophomore guard JamesOn Curry hit a critical jumper to push a two-point lead to four with less than two minutes remaining. Oklahoma State ended the game on a 9-2 run to set up a quarterfinal game with No. 2 Kansas.
In the final game of the night, 6th-seeded Nebraska needed a last minute three pointer by Jamel White to finally shut down 11th-seed Missouri, winning 71-64. The Cornhuskers almost let a 12-point second half lead slip away, as poor free-throw shooting kept the Tigers close, eventually tying the game at 57 with six minutes remaining. Nebraska pulled away with help from Jason Dourisseau’s 20 points, which led both squads. Missouri can now look forward to 2006-07, as they would like to wipe this 100th season off the books. [3/09/06]
