BAYAMON, Puerto Rico —
Phil Forte hit all his free throws after getting fouled while attempting a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left in overtime and Oklahoma State beat Akron 69-65 in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Tipoff on Thursday.
Forte, who was fouled by Chauncey Gilliam, drained three free throws to put the Cowboys up 67-65.
“We kept fighting and scratching and clawing, and found a way to get the win,” said Forte, who finished with eight points.
Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart made two more free throws to complete the scoring. Smart finished with 16 points, Le’Bryan Nash had 18 and Markel Brown 17 for Oklahoma State (2-0).
Brian Walsh had 14 points for Akron (1-2) and Alex Abreau, playing for the Zips in his hometown, had 13. Zeke Marshall made a layup with 1:02 left in regulation to tie the game at 61, but missed a shot as time ran out to win it.
Forte had a mostly quiet game but came through in overtime. After getting bumped to the floor, he got up and put the Cowboys ahead to stay.
“I kept telling them during timeouts that at some point somebody was eventually going to make some big plays,” Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford said. “We know (Forte is) going to make shots. He may miss four or five in a row, but that doesn’t bother me. That never concerns me. He’s going to make shots.”
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PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF: OSU wins in OT
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‘All-State Brace’
All the hours and hard work of keeping the Claremore Zebra athletes injury-free in order to reach their dreams at the highest level helped graduate Averey Brace fulfill a huge accomplishment in her athletic training career.
Brace, a recent 2013 graduate of Claremore High School, received All-State honors from the Oklahoma Coaches Association earlier this month for her three-year commitment to the Claremore High School athletic training program. -
Sign up now for OSU Baseball Camp
Oklahoma State Baseball will be holding a pair of camps in June for players in grades 1-8, and registration is now open.
Session I of the camp is June 17-19, with Session II set for June 24-26, and cost for each camp is $200. Camp runs from 9 a.m.-noon each day. -
Lady Zebra volleyball camp set for May 20
The Claremore Lady Zebra volleyball camp will take place on May 20-23 at the Claremore High School gymnasium.
Under the direction of Lady Zebra head coach Lindsey Renfroe, campers will receive instruction in fundamentals — passing, setting, hitting and serving. -
Green Country All-Star Games start May 23 in Catoosa
Area senior all-star athletes from 21 schools in northeastern Oklahoma will lace up their high tops, hoist their bats and dust off their pom-poms in preparation for the 2013 Green Country All-Star Games held May 23-24 in Catoosa.
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SEC BASEBALL: Auburn blanks No. 13 Arkansas, 3-0
Conner Kendrick and Terrance Dedrick combined on a five-hit shutout as Auburn defeated No. 13 Arkansas, 3-0, in the series opener on Thursday night at Plainsman Park.
Arkansas drops to 34-18 overall and 17-10 in Southeastern Conference play, while Auburn is now 32-21 and 12-16 in league play. -
GOLF: Bradley gets course-record 60 at Byron Nelson
Keegan Bradley had no thoughts of a course record, or the possibility of a 59, after consecutive bogeys in the middle of his opening round at the Byron Nelson Championship.
Until his 136-yard wedge shot on his final hole Thursday.
“It was going right at it. (A 59) crossed my mind for a second, and it would be unbelievable if I buried this,” Bradley said. “But I had 3 feet to shoot 60. I was actually very nervous, uncomfortable over it and thank God I made it.” -
Cowboys rock Mountaineers, 7-4
Oklahoma State showcased its offensive ability in its series opener against West Virginia on Thursday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.
Whether it’s small ball or the long ball — both of which came into effect — the 16th-ranked Cowboys are proving they can find a way to win here late in the season with a 7-4 mauling of the Mountaineers. -
OU baseball closes out regular season play at K-State
Moods were light as Oklahoma boarded a bus for Manhattan, Kan., Thursday afternoon. What they’ll be like by Sunday depends on what transpires over the next three games.
The Sooners’ season hinges on the outcome. -
Westbrook's injury hinders Thunder's playoff run
The way Kevin Martin describes it, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost the “vision” of a potential championship run the morning they learned All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook would be out for the rest of the postseason.
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NSU women's golf in 8th place at NCAA Division II Championship
The Northeastern State women’s golf team sits in eighth place after Thursday’s second round of the 2013 NCAA Division II Championships on the par-72, 6,228-yard Legends Course at LPGA International.
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