Jackson’s 31 can’t save Baylor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pierre Jackson slipped up the sideline, pulled up at the 3-point arc and let loose at the buzzer with a shot he thought was in all the way.
Instead, it clanked harmlessly off the back of the iron.
After leading the Bears on a mighty second-half comeback against No. 14 Oklahoma State, and scoring 31 points in the game, the Desert Pines High School product could only wonder what might have been following a 74-72 loss to the Cowboys in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.
“I definitely thought it went in,” said Jackson, who dropped to the floor inside the Sprint Center as the buzzer sounded. “Those are kind of the moments you live for, being able to take that last shot and help your team out, and I wasn’t able to hit it for my team.”
Jackson, the Big 12 scoring leader, scored 24 points in the second half. He finished 8-for-21 from the floor, hitting only 2 of 11 3-point attempts, but led a furious comeback by the Bears.
Baylor trailed by 20 early in the game, but had managed to tie it 72-all after Gary Franklin hit a 3-pointer from in front of his own bench and was fouled by the Cowboys’ Phil Forte. Franklin hit the ensuing free throw with 19.1 seconds left to set up a dramatic ending.
The Cowboys came down the floor and got the ball in the hands of Forte, and he was bumped in the lane by Baylor’s Deuce Bello. A whistle sounded and Forte went to the line, and the 91 percent foul shooter calmly made both of them to give the Cowboys the lead.
It was the most important foul called in a game full of them.
“Three weeks you’ve been on the bubble struggling, trying to get into the tournament. You win, you get in, you lose, no,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said after reviewing the call. “Would you want the game to come down to that play?”
When Jackson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer missed, the Oklahoma State sideline erupted.
“I know the feeling of frustration, of missing that last second shot, and giving your team a chance,” said the Cowboys’ Marcus Smart, who scored 21 points. “Much respect goes out to (Jackson) and that Baylor team.”
Forte and LeBryan Nash had 14 points each for the Cowboys (24-7), who advanced to play No. 11 Kansas State in the tournament semifinals tonight.
A.J. Walton had 13 points, and Cory Jefferson had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears (18-14), who are left to wonder whether they’ve done enough to make the NCAA Tournament.
AROUND THE NATION
BIG EAST
• SADDENED SMITH LEADS NO. 4 LOUISVILLE — At New York, Russ Smith scored 28 points in a bittersweet homecoming, leading No. 4 Louisville (27-5) into the Big East tournament semifinals with a 74-55 win over Villanova (20-13), hours after the death of his esteemed prep coach. Jack Curran, the longtime coaching great at Archbishop Molloy High School, died Thursday at 82. He was among the nation’s winningest prep coaches in basketball and baseball.
• PORTER PROPELS NO. 5 HOYAS — At New York, Otto Porter Jr. scored 18 points, and No. 5 Georgetown (25-5) reached the Big East semifinals with a 62-43 victory over Cincinnati (22-11).
• NO. 24 NOTRE DAME TOPS NO. 12 MARQUETTE — At New York, Pat Connaughton had 18 points on six 3-pointers and No. 24 Notre Dame (25-8) reached the Big East semifinals for the fourth straight year with a 73-65 win over No. 12 Marquette (23-8). The Fighting Irish have lost in the semifinals all three times, twice to Louisville, tonight’s opponent. Jamil Wilson had 16 points to lead Marquette.
• NO. 19 ORANGE OUST NO. 17 PITTSBURGH — At New York, James Southerland hit all of his 3-point attempts and had 20 points, and Michael Carter-Williams scored Syracuse’s last seven points as the No. 19 Orange (25-8) held on for a 62-59 win over No. 17 Pittsburgh (24-8). It was the schools’ last meeting under the Big East banner; both are leaving for the Atlantic Coast Conference next season.
BIG TEN
• NO. 6 WOLVERINES REPEL PENN STATE — At Chicago, Trey Burke scored 21 points as sixth-ranked Michigan (26-6) avenged a costly regular-season loss to Penn State (10-21) with an 83-66 win in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. The Wolverines meet No. 22 Wisconsin in the quarterfinals today.
BIG 12
• NO. 7 JAYHAWKS COAST IN OPENER — At Kansas City, Mo., Ben McLemore scored 24 points to lead No. 7 Kansas (27-5) to a 91-63 rout of Texas Tech (11-20), setting up an intriguing matchup with Iowa State today in the Big 12 semifinals. In the regular season, the Jayhawks needed overtime to win both games against Iowa State.
• McGRUDER, NO. 11 KANSAS STATE ROMP — At Kansas City, Mo., Rodney McGruder scored 24 points and fueled an 11-0 second-half run, lifting No. 11 Kansas State (26-6) to a 66-49 win over Texas (16-17). On Wednesday, Longhorns athletic director DeLoss Dodds said coach Rick Barnes “absolutely” would return next season.
CONFERENCE USA
• CRAWFORD CARRIES NO. 20 MEMPHIS — At Tulsa, Okla., Chris Crawford set career highs with 24 points and six 3-pointers, Adonis Thomas scored 17 points, and No. 20 Memphis (28-4) breezed to an 81-68 win over Tulane (19-14) in the Conference USA quarterfinals.
ATLANTIC 10
• WILD FINISH LIFTS CHARLOTTE — At New York, Pierria Henry hit eight free throws in the final five seconds as technical fouls helped lift Charlotte (21-10) to a wild 68-63 victory over Richmond (18-14) to open the Atlantic 10 tournament. Richmond led 63-60 with 4.7 seconds to go, but was assessed three technical fouls. Two of them were against coach Chris Mooney, who was ejected.
