Morrison sinks Cowboys

Standout's buzzer-beating three gives Gonzaga win

? Adam Morrison took the ball with his Gonzaga Bulldogs trailing by a point to the rugged Oklahoma State Cowboys and less than 10 seconds left. The nation’s leading scorer stood about 20 feet from the basket as the clock ticked down to five seconds.

The fact he had missed eight of 13 shots in the game meant nothing. As he began his shot from behind the three-point line, he saw it was about to be blocked by either Marcus Dove or David Monds, both of whom were running at his chin.

So Morrison calmly stepped back from both defenders and banked a three-point shot high off the backboard with 2.5 seconds left, giving No. 9 Gonzaga a wild 64-62 comeback victory over the stunned Cowboys.

The game ended seconds later with Morrison in showman mode. Screaming teammates mobbed him from behind while he stretched both arms wide to the roaring home-state crowd. He finished with 25 points – four below his season average coming in – for Gonzaga (6-2).

“Morrison does such a good job moving without the ball,” said Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton. “He’s like a throwback. He plays the way a lot of players used to. He’s terrific.”

Mario Boggan finished with a career-high 19 to lead Oklahoma State (6-3), which led by 12 after the first possession of the second half. Team leader JamesOn Curry, the lone returning starter from a team that advanced to the final 16 of the NCAAs last spring, scored just two points.

Gonzaga's Adam Morrison, left, drives past Oklahoma State's David Monds during the second half. Morrison scored 25 points, including the game-winning three-pointer, as the Bulldogs beat the Cowboys, 64-62, Saturday in Seattle.

The Cowboys have dropped two straight and are off to their worst start in seven seasons.

Oh, by the way: Morrison said he called “bank” on his latest money shot.

“I had the angle,” he said.

Bulldogs coach Mark Few said: “That’s what the best offensive player in America does at the end of a game. He makes a shot.

“Was it lucky? Yeah. But that kid makes shots, better than anybody in the country.”

He wasn’t making much before that. Morrison earned every point against Dove, who continually ran through screens and stayed in Morrison’s face.

“I take the challenge of taking the best guy on the other team every game,” said Dove, whose offense is hindered by a sore shooting hand.

No. 8 Oklahoma 57, Coppin State 47

Norman, Okla. – Kevin Bookout scored 19 points, and Taj Gray added 18 as Oklahoma struggled.

The Sooners (5-1) extended their 19-point halftime lead with an 8-0 run early in the second half. Bookout started the string by putting back Nate Carter’s missed three-pointer, and Carter finished it with a fast-break layup to give Oklahoma a 40-16 edge. In between, Gray hit a pair of free throws and slammed home a two-handed jam.

But the Eagles (0-7), who have yet to play a home game this season, were able to cut into the gap with a 13-2 run.

“I just didn’t think we played with near enough energy or a sense of urgency,” OU coach Kelvin Sampson said.

Missouri 82, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 81

Columbia, Mo. – Jimmy

McKinney tipped in a shot with 7.4 seconds left, lifting Missouri. The Islanders had a chance to win with 4.8 seconds left, but Aaron White’s pass went off the hands of Cedric Smith and to Thomas Gardner, who was fouled. Gardner missed both free throws with 2.8 seconds left, but Josh Ervin’s desperate half-court heave was short for Corpus Christi.

“We won, and I was really pleased with how we won,” MU coach Quin Snyder said.

Missouri (3-3) led the entire first half, but had to rally past the pesky Islanders (5-3).

McKinney finished with 19 points, and Gardner matched his career-high 30 points for the second straight game, going 11-for-22 from the field and 5-for-9 from behind the arc.

Texas A&M 101, Grambling State 71

College Station, Texas – Josh Carter scored 20 points, and Martellus Bennett added 18 for Texas A&M (6-0). A&M earned the victory without the help of its two top scorers, Joseph Jones and Acie Law. Jones left early in the first half because of an apparent ankle injury, while Law early in the second half after taking an elbow to the head and hitting the floor hard.

Texas Tech 103, Texas-Pan American 50

Lubbock, Texas – Jarrius Jackson scored 22 points as Texas Tech (6-4) snapped a two-game losing streak. Texas-Pan American (2-7) turned the ball over 31 times, 23 in the first half. Dior Lowhorn scored 10 of the first 17 points of the game for the Red Raiders.