APBy the end, Oklahoma State had lost two starters to foul trouble and had another player, Kenny Cooper, sidelined by a stomach virus. That left walk-on Tyler Hatch playing throughout the overtimes.
“In this building, I always believe that we can do anything,” Sutton said.
Even Sutton was ailing. He slipped and fell on the ice a night earlier, and had to be held up by assistants during a timeout late in regulation.
“Towards the end, it felt like there was a knife stuck in my back. I don’t think I was going to pass out,” Sutton said. “The pain was pretty bad, but I’m doing better now.”
Texas kept staying alive largely because of Durant.
He helped lead the Longhorns back from a five-point deficit in the final minute of regulation, scored seven points in the first overtime and made two crucial defensive plays and a fast-break dunk to force the third extra period.
“Every time we scored, Durant would come back and make a play,” Boggan said.
Sutton called Durant’s performance the best he’d ever seen by an opposing player at Gallagher-Iba.
“He’s an unreal talent,” Sutton said.
Texas hadn’t played a double-overtime game since 1995, and hadn’t played three extra periods since it lost 95-94 to TCU in four overtimes on Jan. 7, 1961, in the longest game in Southwest Conference history.
Oklahoma State hadn’t played more than two overtimes since winning 96-91 at Colorado on Feb. 5, 1983.
This time, it all came down to Boggan.
“On a shot like that, who knows what way it would have went? If I wouldn’t have knocked the shot down, they would have won,” Boggan said. “It still would have been a hard-fought game both ways, but luckily it went our way tonight and I feel much better.”
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Kentucky coach John Calipari says Friday he's a couple of years younger than he feels on his 53rd birthday.
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