OSU Knocked Out Of Big 12 Tourney

Saturday, March 10th 2007, 6:04 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant had 26 points and hit the decisive 3-pointer to help No. 15 Texas hold off Oklahoma State 69-64 on Saturday in a Big 12 semifinal, giving the Longhorns the rubber match in a season series that included a triple-overtime classic.

Playing in front of a partisan Oklahoma State crowd at the Ford Center, Texas (24-8) dealt the Cowboys their first loss in their seven games in the building. Texas will play No. 2 Kansas on Sunday for the tournament title. The Longhorns lost 90-86 at Kansas on March 3 in the teams' regular-season meeting.

Oklahoma State (22-12), ranked as high as 9th earlier this season, likely dropped out of NCAA tournament consideration with the loss, the Cowboys' first of the season in 12 games with all their scholarship players available.

The Cowboys beat Texas 105-103 on Jan. 16, as Mario Boggan and Durant staged a duel, each scoring 37 points and Boggan scoring the game-winner for Oklahoma State. In Austin, Texas, on Feb. 12 in the teams' second meeting, the Longhorns won in a rout, 83-54.

Saturday's game fell somewhere in between, but the finish was dramatic. Oklahoma State rallied from a 10-point 2nd-half deficit to tie the game at 61-61 on a basket by JamesOn Curry with 1:26 left.

Texas' D.J. Augustin missed at the other end, but the rebound was tipped out to Durant, who made a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 46.3 seconds left.

Oklahoma State point guard Byron Eaton threw the ball away on the Cowboys' subsequent possession, and A.J. Abrams and Damion James combined to go 5-6 from the free-throw line in the final 26.1 seconds to seal the win for Texas.