Story of the Day
Oklahoma State kept alive its NCAA Tournament hopes with a 57-56 upset of 7th-ranked Texas A&M, surviving three Aggie shots in the final 10 seconds. The Cowboys arrived this week saying they wanted to pull a Syracuse; the Orange won four straight games to win the Big East Tournament last season. The Cowboys are halfway there.
Fan of the Day
Vanessa Stewart took a chemo treatment at 9 a.m. Friday in Norman. She was in her Ford Center seat by the 2 p.m. tipoff of the Kansas State-Texas Tech quarterfinal.
Stewart's son, Clent, is the KSU point guard, and stage-4 bone cancer hasn't stopped Vanessa and Clent Sr. from attending every K-State home game this season and several road games.
"I'm getting along, Vanessa said at halftime of KSU's quarterfinal against Texas Tech. "Here I sit. We've got a real aggressive treatment plan, so we're hopeful.
Clent Stewart graduated from Tulsa Union, but his parents moved to Norman. Vanessa already has battled breast cancer and now faces chemotherapy three times a month for the bone cancer.
"I try not to think about it, Clent Stewart told the Kansas City Star. "She doesn't allow me to. She always tells me to be strong. She's the one that's strong. When they find a spot, a new lesion, she won't tell me. She just tells me to play hard and let God handle this.
The Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City is a blessing. The Stewarts can drive up easily. "We're excited this is here, Vanessa said.
And excited that K-State won, which virtually assures the Wildcats an NCAA berth. "I told him, Just go win.' That way, you prove to all the doubters.
All gone
If you wanted to attend tonight's Big 12 women's title game between Oklahoma and Iowa State, hope you already have a ticket.
The game sold out at mid-afternoon Friday.
The Big 12 lists the Cox Convention Center arena capacity at 13,322, which would set a women's attendance record for the Big 12 tournament and also a state attendance record.
Mother natured
Oklahoma City will have only itself to blame if the Big 12 decides to not bring its tournament back here. We certainly can't blame it on this week's weather.
Every day this week has been Chamber-of-Commerce good, and today promises more of the same with a dry high of 73 degrees. Sunday could get a little wet, with temperatures in the 60s.
Whom do we thank for the great weather so far?
I'm thinking maybe Boone Pickens paid for it.
No getting even
The general consensus among Kansas players was they would have preferred to face Texas Tech today rather than Kansas State.
Not that the Jayhawks fear the Wildcats. They simply would have preferred a shot at revenge against the Red Raiders, who beat KU 69-64 in Lubbock on Jan. 20.
With KSU comes the dread of having to beat the same team for the third time in a season.
The Jayhawks lead the series 172-89 and had beaten the Wildcats 31 straight times before last year's loss in Lawrence. But Kansas is 11-7 against KSU in conference tournament play.
Move back
Kansas has never lost inside KSU's Bramlage Coliseum, which opened for business in the 1988-89 season.
Here's a suggestion for the Wildcats: Move back into Ahearn Field House. You never should have left.
Oklahoma State stuck with Gallagher-Iba Arena, and you guys should have stuck with Ahearn.
http://www.newsok.com/article/3024514/
DO: Scene & heard at the Big 12
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