Senior Night won't be one to remember for Dove

OSU's Tyler Hatch (10) grabs a rebound over OU's Tony Crocker (5) in the first half during the men's Bedlam...
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"I've seen guys in the past on their Senior Night get the win, and coach subbed them out and they got the ovation,” Dove said.

With the Cowboys trailing by 10 points much of the second half, and eventually losing to Oklahoma 68-56, Dove didn't get to leave the game early. Gallagher-Iba Arena was finally full for the first time this season, but rather than applauding its fifth-year senior's exit, the crowd of 13,459 was heading for the exits with two minutes to play.

"I'm very disappointed,” Dove said. "We just got out-toughed and outplayed, and I'm just embarrassed.”

In the hallway after postgame interviews Dove slumped against the wall and sighed.

"I always pictured it like that, but I didn't get (the ovation),” he said. "I go home with a loss.”

Dove, who was sick and didn't practice on Tuesday, played 37 minutes and finished with a double-double. He scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. But OSU's overall lackluster performance put it in a hole it couldn't dig out of in the second half.

"I feel for our fans,” OSU coach Sean Sutton said. "I feel for Marcus and Tyler (Hatch).”

Dove efficiently guarded multiple players — he was on Taylor Griffin early, then switched to Longar Longar when OSU went small and finally spent time defending hot-handed guard Tony Crocker late. It was a testament to his versatility, but somehow even without Blake Griffin, who Dove would have likely focused on, Oklahoma hurt OSU at every position.

"Our defensive intensity wasn't anything like what we've seen the last two or three weeks,” Sutton said.

Point guard Byron Eaton said he felt badly about failing to send Dove and senior Tyler Hatch out as winners for more than just the ovation.

"I'm sorry for not sending two of my friends out the way they wanted to go,” Eaton said. "Not only that, this could have been a big step closer to getting into the (NCAA) Tournament.”

Dove said the second half felt surreal.

"All through the second half when we were down I just kept thinking, ‘There's gotta be some way we can come back,'” Dove said. "That never happened.”