Nebraska was bidding to become just the 12th team to make it to the NCAA tournament unbeaten. Griffin, the Big 12 player of the year and catalyst behind the only undefeated regular season in Big 12 history, had three fouls at halftime and got saddled with her fourth early in the second half.

With the 6-foot-2 senior sitting long-faced on the bench for several minutes at a stretch, the Huskers (30-1) could not stop their school-record winning streak from coming to an end.

Top-ranked UConn (33-0) is the only unbeaten team heading to the NCAA tournament.

-No. 12 Oklahoma 74, No. 20 Oklahoma State 69
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Danielle Robinson and Amanda Thompson hit big free throws in the final seconds, lifting Oklahoma past Oklahoma State and sending the Sooners into the Big 12 title game against Texas A&M.

Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State’s streaky 5-foot-5 senior, made six of her first seven shots but missed her last nine and wound up with 32 points — giving her a tournament-record 112 in just three games.

The victory gave the Sooners (23-9) a three-game season sweep of the Cowgirls (23-10) and pits them against an Aggies team that handed Nebraska its first loss of the season in the other semifinal. A&M and Oklahoma split two games in the regular season.

Robinson had 19 points for the Sooners, Thompson 17 and Nyeshia Stevenson 15.

Baylor led 77-76 when Walton made the second of two free throws. Texas’ Justin Mason then made one of two before Walton got to the line again with 10 seconds left and calmly hit both.

Texas had one last chance to tie it but Avery Bradley’s 3-pointer bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
Baylor (16-4, 3-3 Big 12) got its first regular-season win over Texas (18-3, 4-2) since 1998. Tweety Carter led the Bears with 27 points.

Texas rallied from 14 points down early in the second half. Damion James had 20 points and 19 rebounds for the Longhorns, but fouled out in the final minute of overtime.

-Kansas 81, Kansas State 79
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Sherron Collins bounced back from a back injury to score on a hard drive with nine seconds left in overtime, helping No. 2 Kansas pull out a gritty win over No. 11 Kansas State.
Kansas (20-1, 6-0 Big 12) dismantled Missouri on Monday and closed out the rivalry week sweep by winning an epic back-and-forth battle with Kansas State (17-4, 4-3).

Collins hit the floor with 2:44 left in overtime and went to the bench holding his back, then returned just in time to score on a baseline drive. He missed the free throw, but Cole Aldrich grabbed the rebound and Brady Morningstar hit two free throws to close out the Jayhawks’ 26th win in their last 27 games in Manhattan.
Aldrich had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Collins finished with 16 points.

Kansas State had a chance to win it in regulation, but Kansas’ Tyrel Reed stripped a streaking Dominique Sutton at the buzzer. Jacob Pullen had 22 points and Denis Clemente added 13 on 4 of 15 shooting for the Wildcats.

-Missouri 95, Oklahoma State 80
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Kim English ended a scoring slump with 20 points and had four of Missouri’s 16 3-pointers, helping the Tigers bounce back from their worst loss of the season by whipping Oklahoma State.

James Anderson had a season-high 31 points with eight rebounds for Oklahoma State (16-5, 4-3 Big 12), hounded into a season-worst 24 turnovers by Missouri’s all-court pressure. Matt Pilgrim added 21 points, 15 above his average, and added nine rebounds.

Marcus and Michael Dixon also had four 3-pointers apiece for Missouri (16-5, 4-2), which was 17-for-31 from long range and shot 52 percent overall.

Laurence Bowers had 16 points and Zaire Taylor 14 points for the Tigers, who have won 32 in a row at home and entered the game with a 29-point average victory margin.

Oklahoma State (16-4, 4-2 Big 12) shot a season-best 57.9 percent and won its third straight game, a run that includes a road win over then-No. 10 Kansas State. The Cowboys overcame the absence of starting point guard Ray Penn, who has a stress reaction-type knee injury and missed his second straight game.

Donald Sloan scored 27 points to lead Texas A&M (14-6, 3-3). The Aggies are 1-4 this season in road games.

Oklahoma State won on the ninth anniversary of a plane crash that killed 10 men associated with the Cowboys’ program. It was only the second time since the crash that Oklahoma State has played on the anniversary date.

-Oklahoma 89, Iowa State 84
NORMAN, Okla. — With its top two scorers injured and in street clothes, Oklahoma built a big lead, then held on to beat Iowa State behind Tommy Mason-Griffin and Cade Davis.

Mason-Griffin scored 38 points and Davis added 24 for the Sooners (12-8, 3-3 Big 12), who are 10-0 at home and 2-8 on the road.
Oklahoma won without guard Willie Warren (17.6) and forward Tony Crocker (12.3), both out with sprained right ankles.

Iowa State (12-8, 1-4) had six double-figure scorers, led by Diante Garrett’s 17.

Craig Brackins, who had been averaging 16.0 points and 7.8 rebounds, was held to 13 points and six rebounds.

Oklahoma led by 18 points, but Iowa State cut the deficit to three points four times in the second half, the final time with 6 seconds left. The Sooners clinched it by making 7 of 8 free throws in the final two minutes.

Arriaran set a Texas record for 3-pointers in a Big 12 game. Kathleen Nash added 11 points for the Longhorns (13-5), who have won two in a row after an 0-2 start in the Big 12.

Texas trailed 43-36 early in the second before Arriaran made two 3-pointers to start a game-changing Texas run. Arriaran was 8 of 11 from long range.

Andrea Riley scored 31 points to become Oklahoma State’s career leader with 2,392. Riley has scored at least 30 points in four straight games.

Tegan Cunningham scored 19 points for Oklahoma State (15-3, 3-1).

Texas led 31-27 at halftime despite having Brittainey Raven, their leading scorer, spend almost the entire first half on the bench after two early fouls. Raven had drawn the defensive assignment of covering Riley.

Raven picked up her third foul early in the second and Cunningham put Oklahoma State ahead 39-35 with a baseline jumper. The Cowgirls pushed the lead to 43-36 before Arriaran reeled them back in with eight consecutive points in an 18-3 run that put Texas up 54-46 with 9:13 to play.

Arriaran, who had made just one basket in Texas previous two games, had an easy time finding her shot against Oklahoma State’s defense, which seemed to sag off the Longhorns on the perimeter. Her eight 3-pointers were the most by a Texas player since Danielle Viglione made 11 against Houston in 1994.

Yvonne Anderson, who had to guard Riley because Raven was in foul trouble, made a pair of superb defensive plays as Texas steadily built on the lead.

Anderson’s steal and layup put Texas up by 11 before she poked the ball away from Riley, who got upset there was no foul called and was hit with a technical foul. Raven made both free throws before Arriaran drifted to the left wing and made another 3-pointer. Arriaran’s eighth 3-pointer 90 seconds later put Texas up 69-49 with 4:49 to play.

• No. 13 Oklahoma 62, Missouri 61

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Amanda Thompson scored off a rebound with 9.6 seconds left to give lift Oklahoma past Missouri.

Nyeshia Stevenson led Oklahoma (13-4, 3-1 Big 12) with 23 points, Danielle Robinson added 16, and Thompson finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Jessra Johnson led Missouri (10-7, 0-4) with 16 points. The Tigers were 2 for 22 from 3-point range and 22 of 66 overall from the field.

Kansas (17-1, 3-0) used its depth to get Baylor’s big front line in foul trouble and hit just enough shots down the stretch to eke out its 53rd straight win at Allen Fieldhouse. Collins got the Jayhawks started with two nifty assists and closed it out with a 3-pointer from the wing, combining with Marcus Morris to score 12 of Kansas’ final 14 points.

Morris finished with 22 points.

Baylor (14-3, 2-2) gave Kansas its toughest test of the season at home, riding LaceDarius Dunn’s 27 points to become the first team in 92 games to more over 50 percent (52) against the Jayhawks. The Bears just couldn’t come up with the stops down the stretch, extending their Big 12 road losing streak to eight games.

• Oklahoma State 90, Colorado 78

STILLWATER, Okla. – James Anderson scored 26 points, Marshall Moses had 20 points and 18 rebounds and Oklahoma State snapped a two-game losing streak by beating Colorado 90-78 on Wednesday night.

Anderson, the Big 12 Conference’s leading scorer, fueled a 10-2 run early in the second half that gave Oklahoma State (14-4, 2-2) a 15-point lead and went 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. Anderson has scored in double figures in 32 straight games, matching the third-longest streak in school history.

Alec Burks led Colorado with a career-high 24 points. Colorado (10-8, 1-3) has lost 31 straight conference road games since Feb. 5, 2006, when the Buffaloes won at Oklahoma State, and 23 in a row on the road against NCAA Division I foes, dating to December 2007.

Moses matched his career rebounding high as Oklahoma State outrebounded the Buffaloes 38-23 to move to 10-0 this season at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys also shot a season-high 55.4 percent from the field.

Of Oklahoma State’s 14 wins this season, 12 have come by double digits.

Oklahoma State, coming off road losses to Oklahoma and Baylor, jumped to an 11-0 lead, as the Buffaloes opened the game with five turnovers and five missed shots. Colorado cut the margin to 27-24 at the 4:46 mark but Oklahoma State led 37-30 at halftime.

With the Cowboys up 40-33, Obi Muonelo started a 10-2 run with a 3-pointer and Anderson finished it with another, making it 50-35 with 16:33 left.

Colorado cut it to 55-43 on a 3-pointer by Levi Knutson with 13:15 left, leading to a quick timeout by Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford, who came charging onto the court. The Cowboys responded with six straight points and Colorado came no closer than nine the rest of the way.

Muonelo hit four 3-pointers in the second half to help keep Oklahoma State comfortably ahead and finished with 18 points. Keiton Page added 14 points for the Cowboys.

Dwight Thorne scored 15 points for Colorado and Cory Higgins, the Buffaloes’ leading scorer, scored 13 points, six below his average. Burks remained the only true freshman in Division I to score in double figures in every game this season.

But the big boys up front might have the most say in who wins Saturday’s showdown between Texas Tech and No. 17 Oklahoma State — more so than Taylor Potts, Detron Lewis and Alex Torres for the Red Raiders, or Zac Robinson, Keith Toston and Kendall Hunter for the Cowboys.

Perhaps the most intriguing matchup is Oklahoma State’s dominant offensive line versus Tech’s disruptive defensive front. The Cowboys are tied for the national lead with only four sacks allowed this season, while the Red Raiders’ 30 sacks are tied for fourth-most in the country.

“We’re looking forward to it,” OSU left tackle Russell Okung said. “The one-on-one battles in pass protection and run blocking, every play is going to be golden.”

Tech head coach Mike Leach described the Cowboys’ offensive line as a “big, strong, nasty group.” All nine players listed on the two-deep weigh at least 290 pounds — six top 300 on the scale — and each stands at least 6-foot-2.

It’s also a group with plenty of savvy and seasoning. Four of the five starters are seniors, and Okung, right tackle Brady Bond and center Andrew Lewis have made a combined 117 starts in their careers.

“Big time,” Tech defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill said. “They’re good. This will be the best offensive line we’ve faced.”

The 6-5, 300-pound Okung garners the most attention among the group, and rightfully so. The Lombardi Award semifinalist was tabbed as a first-team preseason all-American by four publications, and he’s projected to be one of the top picks in the next NFL draft.

Oklahoma State offensive line coach Joe Wickline said Okung is a “step above in terms of God-given talents,” and that his competitiveness, character and humility have enabled him to turn his ability into productivity.

“He has what I call the measurables and the makeup to be a candidate to play on Sundays,” Wickline said. “That’s something that will be determined here in a few months, but I think he has those characteristics.”

Okung insists his fellow offensive linemen are just as good, and McNeill pointed out that Bond and Lewis also were preseason all-Big 12 selections. And the results this season speak for themselves.

Along with keeping Robinson virtually untouched, the group has paved the way for 196 rushing yards per game, tops in the Big 12.

“Whether you’re run blocking or pass blocking, we want to be good at both and always keep opposing defenses on their toes,” Okung said. “We’re the type of line, we’re going to compete, go out there and work. We’re going to be the most physical force on the field.”

Okung said cohesiveness and continuity have been the keys for the Cowboys, and they’ve also made some seamless adjustments when necessary. Redshirt freshman Lane Taylor became the starting right guard in the season’s third week and is “doing a great job for them,” according to McNeill, and senior Andrew Mitchell, a former tight end, drew praise from OSU head coach Mike Gundy after filling in for an injured Bond last week at right tackle.

Despite Bond’s absence, Toston rushed for a career-high 206 yards in a 34-8 victory over Iowa State.

“That’s what depth is all about,” Wickline said. “That’s why we have more than five scholarships in the offensive line. … You can make a big deal about it or keep on rolling.”

Wickline said Wednesday he’s not sure whether Bond will be ready to return this week. Either way, he knows it won’t be easy for the Cowboys’ line to continue its run of solid play.

Wickline said containing Tech’s defensive line will be a “gigantic challenge” for his group. Tech’s Brandon Sharpe is tied for fourth nationally with 101/2 sacks, fellow defensive end Daniel Howard has 61/2, and neither has played in all nine games.

“We clearly have our hands full again,” Wickline said. “We don’t see them as any different than the University of Georgia, an SEC defense, or the University of Texas. It’s the same type of guys. They run well, they’re coached well, they’ve got a lot of depth, and the big thing is they play extremely hard. We’ll get to work and we’ll see.”

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma State All-American wide receiver Dez Bryant will remain suspended for the remainder of the football season, the NCAA ruled on Tuesday.

That means Texas Tech will have one less explosive player with whom to concern itself when the Red Raiders play OSU on Nov. 14 in Stillwater, Okla.

The junior will not be eligible to play until September 2010, possibly bringing an end to the college career of the top pro prospect. Bryant will be eligible to enter next year’s NFL draft.

OSU plans to appeal the decision to the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, but athletic department spokesman Kevin Klintworth declined further comment.

The university announced on Oct. 7 Bryant was declared ineligible for lying to the NCAA about his relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders. He has sat out the last four games for the No. 13 Cowboys (6-1, 3-0 Big 12), who host No. 3 Texas on Saturday night in a game that will likely determine which team plays for the Big 12 championship.

The NCAA said in a news release that Bryant’s penalty actually constituted “relief” from even more severe penalties for breaking the agency’s rules for ethical conduct and preferential treatment. Bryant could have been forced to miss anywhere from half a season — or six games — to being rendered permanently ineligible.

The NCAA said mitigating factors presented in Oklahoma State’s case resulted in a lighter penalty for Bryant. The decision was based on whether Bryant “actively and deliberately concealed, omitted or provided inaccurate or false information” to the NCAA and whether he had multiple chances to provide accurate information but did not do so.

Bryant caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns last season while also scoring twice on punt returns. This season, Bryant led the team with 17 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns through OSU’s first three games.

While Bryant played in OSU’s first three games, OSU compliance officials were investigating an apparent meeting he had with former NFL players Sanders and Omar Stoutmire that he later lied about to the NCAA. Bryant sent a letter with his initial application for reinstatement, asking to play again this season and that his “punishment is not so bad that I do not get to play football again at OSU.”

Bryant has not commented publicly since the university ruled him ineligible because he “failed to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player not affiliated with OSU.” Sanders later identified himself as that player, and Bryant also referred to him in his letter to the NCAA.

After his initial suspension, the university released a statement from Bryant saying “I made a mistake by not entirely truthful when meeting with the NCAA.”

Oklahoma State has won its last four games without injured running back Kendall Hunter or suspended receiver Dez Bryant.

Baylor, which has a 20-game losing streak to ranked teams, has scored only 24 points in its Big 12 games. The Bears are 1-3 since standout sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin tore a ligament in his right knee a month ago.

Oklahoma State, which plays No. 3 Texas at home next weekend, was again just fine without its top running back and top receiver from last season.

Robinson completion percentage broke the record Mike Gundy set by hitting 27 of 35 passes (77 percent) against Kansas in 1989.

Zac Robinson threw for 227 yards and Lucien Antoine added an interception return for a touchdown as the Cowboys (5-1, 2-0 Big 12) snapped a four-game losing streak on their home field against the Tigers (4-2, 0-2).

Missouri’s pass-heavy offense fell flat after a prolific first half, and even a 60-yard punt return on a reverse couldn’t spark a comeback as the Tigers were shut out in the second half.

Oklahoma State started Big 12 play with back-to-back wins despite being without Bryant and top running back Kendall Hunter, who missed his fourth straight game with a sprained ankle.

In his written apology to the NCAA, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press following an open records request, Bryant said that he is “very, very sorry” and “made a terrible mistake” when he lied to Marcus M. Wilson, the NCAA’s assistant director of agent, gambling and amateurism activities, in July.

“It was all me, there is no one else to blame,” Bryant writes in his two-page apology. “I just panicked because I was scared and afraid that I was in some kind of trouble.”

The All-American was declared ineligible by Oklahoma State last week and was expected to go through a follow-up interview with the NCAA on Tuesday in Indianapolis.

“I was scared because I was thinking, why would the NCAA talk to me unless they thought I had done something wrong, even though I did not think I had,” Bryant writes in his letter.