March 9, 2001

Box Score

By STEVE BRISENDINE
Associated Press Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Nolan Johnson atoned for a crucial missed free throw by scoring the go-ahead basket, lifting No. 16 Oklahoma to a 67-65 win over Missouri in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament Friday night.

Justin Gage's basket with 29.3 seconds left gave the sixth-seeded Tigers (19-11) a 65-63 lead, but Johnson hit the first of two foul shots with 13.2 seconds remaining to cut the margin to one.

He missed the second free throw, but Oklahoma (24-6) got the ball back when Missouri's Kareem Rush and T.J. Soyoye collided going for the rebound and the ball went out of bounds.

The miscue spoiled an outstanding shooting night by Rush, who hit five 3-pointers and led the Tigers with 31 points.

Johnson - who finished with 20 points - then scored with 3.2 seconds left to give Oklahoma a 66-65 lead, and Missouri threw the ball away at the other end of the court.

Brad McGhee hit one more free throw for the Sooners with 2.9 seconds to go and then stole the inbounds pass after a Missouri timeout.

Johnson's basket won a game in which neither team could gain control.

Missouri led 30-20 on Rush's 3-pointer with 1:18 left in the first half, capping a 19-6 run. But the Sooners came back early in the second half and tied the game at 33 on McGhee's 3-pointer with 18:45 to play.

Johnson scored five points in an 11-0 run that gave Oklahoma a 53-48 lead with just under eight minutes remaining, but Rush hit a jumper with 4 1/2 minutes left for a 55-all tie.

Hollis Price converted a three-point play with 2:24 left to put Oklahoma up 61-60, but Missouri's Clarence Gilbert answered with a 3-point shot at the 2-minute mark for a 63-61 lead.

Gilbert, who hit 8 of 11 3-pointers and scored 30 points in Thursday night's 77-62 win over Texas A&M, was 3-for-10 from long range on Friday and finished with nine points.

Daryan Selvy had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Sooners. McGhee also had 11 points, and Price finished with 10 points and five assists.

Soyoye had a double-double for Missouri with 10 points and 11 rebounds.