Missed shot proves to be the game-winner
Missed shot proves to be the game-winner

By Scott Wright

Published: March 6, 2008

STILLWATER — For all the big shots he made Wednesday night, the biggest play was the layup Oklahoma's Tony Crocker couldn't get to fall.

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Sooner coach Jeff Capel used a timeout to set up his smoking-hot sophomore with an open lane and a one-on-one opportunity against Oklahoma State's Byron Eaton. Crocker dribbled behind his back and sliced toward the basket, drawing a foul from Eaton — the fifth for the Cowboys' star.

Crocker hit both free throws on his way to a career-high 25 points as the Sooners (20-10 overall, 8-7 Big 12 Conference) picked up a 68-56 win that likely nailed down their NCAA Tournament berth and kept them in the running for fourth place in the Big 12 Conference standings.

"We had a play already set up, but I saw that Eaton was on me,” Crocker said. "I told coach, ‘Hey, he has four fouls.'”

So with a 59-49 lead and just under four minutes remaining, Capel called timeout to draw up a clear-out play with Crocker taking the ball on the right wing.

"We just wanted to attack (Eaton) and get that fifth foul,” Crocker said. "We just executed what he drew up.”

It silenced the capacity crowd at Gallagher-Iba Arena and wiped out any momentum the Cowboys were building for a late rally.

Eaton had virtually carried the Cowboys (16-13, 7-8) to five straight wins entering the Bedlam game, averaging 20.6 points per game during the streak.

"We had to play him without fouling,” Capel said. "He had gotten to the line a lot in the last five games. He's the guy that creates everything for their team.”

The Sooners neutralized his penetration into the lane with a mix of man-to-man and zone defenses. Eaton made just three of seven field goals and finished with 13 points.

And the Cowboys' NCAA Tournament hopes likely were snuffed out unless they can win the Big 12 Conference Tournament next week in Kansas City, Mo.

Crocker was the Sooners' go-to guy much of the night, hitting all five 3-pointers he attempted and eight of 13 field goals overall. He gave OU a big momentum boost when he banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key in the final seconds of the first half as part of a 14-3 run.

"It wasn't really surprising,” Capel said of Crocker's hot hand. "I really felt like he was gonna have a good game, just how excited he was and how focused. Once he got going, we wanted to keep going to him.”

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