BIG 12 TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
The win gives the Cowboys back-to-back conference tournament titles for the first time in the program's history.
Eddie Sutton becomes the third Big 12 coach to lead his team to back-to-back Big 12 Conference Tournament Championships. Oklahoma's Kelvin Sampson won titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Roy Williams led Kansas to titles in 1997, 1998 and 1999.
The Cowboys are now 4-3 in conference tournament championship games and 2-1 in Big 12 title games.
The Cowboys extended their winning streak to six games in the Big 12 Tournament with Sunday's victory over Texas Tech.
The Cowboys are now 6-0 in the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed. OSU won the 1983 Big Eight title in its only other appearance as the No. 3 seed.
OKLAHOMA STATE TEAM NOTES
OSU won both contests against Texas Tech during the regular season and has won five straight overall against the Red Raiders.
Sunday's game was the fourth between the Cowboys and Red Raiders in the Big 12 Tournament with OSU holding a 3-1 advantage.
All three of OSU's contests in the Big 12 Tournament and five of its last six overall have been decided by four points or less.
With the win, head coach Eddie Sutton moved into a tie with Lou Henson for sixth place on the all-time coaching wins list with 779 career victories.
The Cowboys made their fifth turnover of today's game at 9:36 mark in the first half and finished with nine first-half turnovers. OSU committed five turnovers in entire game vs. Kansas yesterday.
Oklahoma State led for all but 1:20 of the first half. The game was scoreless until the 19:15 mark and then TTU took a 4-3 lead at the 18:17 mark, before OSU reclaimed the lead at the 17:42 mark.
The Cowboys are now 21-0 when leading at the half.
Texas Tech went on an 8-0 scoring run in the second half as OSU went without a field goal from 15:51 until the 9:09 mark. The Cowboys were 0-of-7 during that stretch.
OKLAHOMA STATE PLAYER NOTES
With 16 points and 11 rebounds, tournament MVP Joey Graham recorded his third double-double this season and sixth of his career. His 11 rebounds was one shy of tying his career high of 12, which he set vs. Texas Tech (1/8/05). He went scoreless in the second half until the 4:40 mark when he hit two free throws and then followed with a putback at 3:47 to score four straight OSU points.
Joey Graham's seven turnovers was a season high. His previous high was five at Texas Tech (1/8/05).
Joey Graham finished the 2005 Big 12 Tournament 22-of-23 at the line. He was 30-of-34 during six career Big 12 Tournament games.
With his 19 points against Texas Tech, senior guard John Lucas now has 1,835 career points moving him past Oklahoma's Hollis Price (1,821) and Iowa State's Marcus Fizer (1,830) into fourth place on the Big 12's all-time scoring chart
With his three assists, all-tourney selection John Lucas moved into sole possession of fifth place on the conference's all-time assists chart with 530.
With 19 points today, John Lucas has scored in double figures in 14 straight games and 28 of 30 this season. Eleven of his 19 points were scored in the second half.
John Lucas was 9-of-20 from three-point range in 2005 Big 12 Tournament play, including 4-of-9 today.
With 11 points today, JamesOn Curry has scored in double figures in four straight games and 13 times this season. Curry was 9-of-9 from the free-throw line during the 2005 Big 12 Tournament.
Ivan McFarlin, who scored 27 points combined in his first two 2005 Big 12 Tournament games, fouled out at the 5:47 mark with six points. He finished his career with 81 points in eight Big 12 Tournament games. It was the fourth time he'd fouled out of a game this season.
Daniel Bobik's five steals (all in the first half) is a new career high. His previous high was four. Bobik entered the 2005 Big 12 Tournament with 15 points in three career games. He scored 29 points during three games during the 2005 Big 12 Tournament.
TEXAS TECH TEAM NOTES
This was the first appearance in Big 12 Tournament championship game for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders last conference tournament championship was 1996, when they beat Texas 75-73 for the Southwest Conference tournament title. Tech has appeared in five SWC Tournament title games and won four.
Tech trailed by 11 in the second half, their largest deficit of the game, before countering with a 19-2 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 59-53, with 5:18 left. The Cowboys countered with a 17-9 run to win 72-68.
Texas Tech had 19 turnovers, one less than their season high of 20 (vs. Iowa on December 21). The Red Raiders committed only eight against Oklahoma in the semifinal.
In the first half, the Red Raiders were outscored by Oklahoma State in 2nd chance points and bench points, 23-3. For the game, they were outscored 31-15.
Texas Tech has lost five straight to the Cowboys, including last year's Big 12 Tournament semifinal.
The Red Raiders were out-rebounded in their two wins in the Big 12 Tournament. In a loss today, they out-rebounded Oklahoma State, 34-33.
TEXAS TECH PLAYER NOTES
Martin Zeno scored all of his 14 points in the second half including 9 consecutive points that gave the Red Raiders their first lead since 17:42 in the first.
With 22 points and 10 rebounds, Ronald Ross recorded his second double-double of the season (he scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds vs. KU). Ross had 15 points in the first half and scored eight of Tech's first 12 points.
Jarrius Jackson scored 22 points today and averaged 21.3 points per game in the Big 12 Tournament. He scored over 20 points in all three games and has scored more than 20 in a game eight times this season.
THE BIG 12 IN KEMPER ARENA
Today's Championship Game was the 77th and likely final Big 12 Tournament game in Kemper Arena. Each team's record during that time:
Baylor 4-7 .364
Colorado 4-7 .364
Iowa State 5-6 .455 (2000 Champion)
Kansas 12-4 .750 (1997, 98, 99 Champion)
Kansas State 6-7 .462
Missouri 8-7 .533
Nebraska 2-7 .222
Oklahoma 13-5 .722 (2001, 02 Champion)
Oklahoma State 9-6 .600 (2005 Champion)
Texas 7-7 .500
Texas A&M 0-7 .000
Texas Tech 3-7 .300
Over the seven Big 12 Tournaments in Kemper Arena, 669,264 people have attended. That is a 95,609 per year average and an average of 15,934 per session.
The Oklahoma Sooners are the only team to have never played a first-round game in Kemper Arena during the Big 12 Championship. They received a bye as one of the top four seeds in each of the seven years the tournament has been held here.
2005 BIG 12 TOURNAMENT NOTES
The Championship game was officiated by Steve Welmer (8th Big 12 Championship Game), Scott Thornley (6th) and Curtis Shaw (1st).
Leading Scorers from the 2005 Big 12 Tournament:
Joey Graham, OSU 65 (3 games) T 7th all-time
Jarrius Jackson, TTU 64 (3) 10th all-time
Ronald Ross, TTU 61 (3)
Linas Kleiza, MU 59 (2)
Wayne Simien, KU 58 (2)
John Lucas, OSU 48 (3)
Richard Roby, CU 38 (2)
JamesOn Curry, OSU 37 (3)
Lance Harris, KSU 36 (2)
Jeremiah Massey, KSU 35 (2)
Curtis Stinson, ISU 34 (2)
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT CAREER CHARTS
Points Scored
9. Joey Graham,OSU 120
Rebounds
T3. Jared Homan, ISU 69
Assists
1. Aaron Miles, KU 60 7. Jimmy McKinney, MU 26
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT TEAM RECORDS
Highest Free Throw Pct. .917 (33-of-36) Missouri vs. Oklahoma (3/11/05)
BIG 12 TOURNAMENT INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Three-Point FG Attempted (tie) 13 Lance Harris, Kansas State vs. KU (3/11/05) Free Throws Made 17 Linas Kleiza, Missouri vs. OU (3/11/05) Free Throws Attempted 19 Linas Kleiza, Missouri vs. OU (3/11/05) Highest Free Throw Pct. (tie) 1.00 (10-of-10) Ronald Ross, Texas Tech vs. OU (3/12/05) (min. 10 attempts) 1.00 (10-of-10) Jimmy McKinney, Missouri vs. OU (3/11/05)