Field Level Media
Mar 13, 2019
Kouat Noi scored 20 points to lead TCU to a wild 73-70 win over Oklahoma State in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Wednesday night in Kansas City.
It was Desmond Bane's 3-pointer with 11 seconds left that clinched the victory in a game that looked likely to be over long before.
Oklahoma State trailed by 21 with a little more than 16 minutes remaining before the Cowboys fought back, chipping away at the lead until a 14-0 run tied the game in the final minute.
After Alex Robinson's 3-pointer with 6:53 remaining, the Horned Frogs missed their next seven shots.
The Cowboys kept the stretch going, taking the lead for the first time in the game with 26 seconds to play on a pair of free throws.
On the next possession, Robinson and Bane worked the ball back and forth around the perimeter until one found some room to work.
It was Bane and he drilled a 3-pointer with 11 seconds to play to break the Oklahoma State run and put the Horned Frogs back in front.
Lindy Waters III missed a jumper for the Cowboys with five seconds left, hitting off the right side of the rim, bouncing up, then hitting again off the same spot before bounding away to all but seal the Horned Frogs' win
Bane had 15 points, Kevin Samuel 14 and Robinson 12 for TCU.
TCU came into the tournament needing at least a win -- potentially more -- to feel comfortable about its NCAA Tournament hopes.
The eighth-seeded Horned Frogs (20-12) will take on top-seeded Kansas State on Thursday.
Oklahoma State's season ends at 12-20.
The Cowboys' roster was limited to just seven scholarship players for much of the season, but as thin as Oklahoma State was, the Cowboys hung in games regularly.
Oklahoma State big man Yor Anei played a big part in the comeback, and finished with his first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He also added seven blocks.
Waters also scored 17.
TCU built a lead as big as 19 points in the first half, shooting better than 58 percent, with 14 points from Noi on 5-of-7 shooting.
--Field Level Media