No. 10 Gonzaga edges No. 22 Oklahoma State
BY Mike Brown World Sports Writer
Monday, December 31, 2012
12/31/12 at 8:14 PM
STILLWATER -- Marcus Smart had missed only 11 foul shots in his freshman season, but the Oklahoma State guard missed two when it mattered most Monday.
He came up blanks on two free throws that would have tied the game with 8.7 seconds left.
Kevin Pangos hit two clinching foul shots with 4.3 seconds left as 10th-ranked Gonzaga held on to defeat the No. 22 Cowboys 69-68 before a sellout throng in Gallagher-Iba Arena and national television audience.
Pangos and Smart scored 23 points each in their duel of standout point guards, but a forgotten man hit the key shot for the visitors.
Gonzaga guard Gary Bell Jr., who went down in the first half with a right knee injury, came back to drain a 3-pointer, putting the Bulldogs ahead to stay with 37 seconds left.
Gonzaga 7-foot Kelly Olynyk had all of his 21 points and nine rebounds in the second half as the Bulldogs imporoved to 13-1 while ending a five-game winning streak by the Cowboys, who fell to 10-2.
Markel Brown scored 16 points and Phil Forte went 5-for-8 from 3-point range to score 15 for the Cowboys.
Monday’s game concluded non-conference play for the Cowboys, who play at Kansas State at 12:30 p.m. Saturday to open Big 12 Conference play.
Associated Images:
Gonzaga's Michael Hart (left) and Kelly Olynyk block out Oklahoma State's Le'Bryan Nash during the second half of Monday's game in Stillwater. Brody Schmidt/AP
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