Sooners Make No. 1 Kansas Pay the Price

When Hollis Price struggled to score in the first two games of the Big 12 men’s basketball tournament, Oklahoma Coach Kelvin Sampson said he wasn’t worried.

Turns out, Sampson had no reason to be.

Price scored 23 points, including two clutch three-pointers that turned back a second-half rally by No. 1 Kansas, and No. 4 Oklahoma won its second consecutive Big 12 tournament with a 64-55 victory Sunday at Kansas City, Mo.

Price also led a swarming defensive effort and was selected the tournament’s most valuable player.

“I knew if something was going to happen for us, somebody was going to have to make it happen,” Price said. “You can’t run sets against a team like Kansas, and Kansas can’t run sets against a team like us. Someone had to just step up and create.”

Despite the Big 12 title, Oklahoma (27-4) did not get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Sooners are the No. 2 seed in the West Regional and will play Illinois-Chicago on Friday at Dallas.

The Jayhawks (29-3), who went 16-0 in the Big 12 regular season, are seeded No. 1 in the Midwest Regional. They will play Holy Cross on Thursday at St. Louis.

Drew Gooden had 22 points and 15 rebounds but committed six turnovers for Kansas, which had its string of 18 consecutive victories over conference opponents ended.

The Jayhawks, the highest-scoring team in the nation, were held 12 points below their previous low this season--also against the Sooners.

“The first time we played Kansas we learned a lot about post defense and how it has to be everyone’s responsibility,” Sampson said. “It’s not just having a 7-footer who can swat shots, or a big guy who can belly up--it’s five people’s responsibility.”

Oklahoma shot only 34% (24 for 71) from the field, its third poor shooting performance in as many games, but Price made the big shots.

Kansas rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit to force two ties midway through the second half and trailed, 49-47, after a dunk by Gooden with 7:02 left.

Price made two three-pointers in the next 82 seconds, and Jabahri Brown scored with 4:13 left to make it 57-49.

Kansas could not get closer than four points after that.

“I get tired of hearing that anyone wants things more than I do, yet at the same time they played tougher than us,” Kansas Coach Roy Williams said.

“To say they have more motivation would definitely bother me. I know Kelvin wanted to win, but there is no way on God’s green earth that I would think he wanted it more than me.”

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BIG TEN

Four teams staked their claims to being the Big Ten’s best squad during the regular season. Boban Savovic made sure only Ohio State was left standing after the conference’s tournament.

Savovic scored 27 points to lead the No. 21 Buckeyes over Iowa, 81-64, in the tournament final at Indianapolis.

Ohio State (23-7) shared the regular-season title with Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, but the Buckeyes were the only one of the four to reach the championship game.

The Buckeyes led by three points midway through the second half before two three-pointers by Savovic put the game away during a 21-8 run.

“He was possessed a little bit,” teammate Brian Brown said. “He got us motivated. I think he just singlehandedly opened the game up.”

Savovic, Brown and teammate Brent Darby were selected to the all-tournament team.

The Buckeyes were seeded fourth in the West Regional for the NCAA tournament and will play 13th-seeded Davidson at Albuquerque.

Savovic, who scored 15 points in the second half, said he was motivated by his brother Predrag’s 28-point game for Hawaii in the Western Athletic Conference tournament final.

Hawaii was seeded 10th, also in the West.

“I was just hoping we were going to win because I knew he was going to tease me about it,” Savovic said. “Now we got a No. 4 seed and he got a No. 10, so I can’t wait to talk to him.”

Ohio State Coach Jim O’Brien was disappointed his team won’t be playing closer to home.

“It just reinforces the confusion and how much I don’t understand about how this works,” he said.

“I don’t know what consideration was given to us winning this tournament. I don’t think it’s anything for us to dwell on. Now it’s about going to play against Davidson.”

Iowa (19-15) proved too weary to stay with the Buckeyes, who earned their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament bid.

Luke Recker, Iowa’s hero in the last two victories, finished with 21 points.

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SOUTHEASTERN

Mississippi State can no longer be overlooked.

Largely ignored much of the season, the Bulldogs won their second Southeastern Conference tournament title and earned an automatic NCAA bid with a 61-58 victory over regular-season champion Alabama at Atlanta.

Mississippi State (26-7) matched the school record for victories, set by the 1995-96 team that won the first tournament championship and reached the Final Four.

“This was a showcase, to show people how good a basketball team we are,” Coach Rick Stansbury said. “I know this team has earned respect now.”

Mario Austin, the tournament’s MVP, led the Bulldogs with 15 points and eight rebounds.

SEC player of the year Erwin Dudley led the Crimson Tide (26-7) with 18 points.

Mississippi State improved to 15-0 when holding an opponent to less than 65 points.