EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The kid with the famous NBA name showed college basketball's player of the year how to do it.
John Lucas hit a 3-pointer with 6.9 seconds left, Jameer Nelson missed right before the buzzer and Oklahoma State held off Saint Joseph's 64-62 in a thriller Saturday night for a trip to the Final Four.
"I made sure my feet were under me and just shot it," Lucas said. Asked if he knew it was good the moment he let it go, he said, "Absolutely."
And then in an NCAA Tournament marked by late misses, it happened again.
Nelson's fadeaway jumper ticked off the rim, and the East Rutherford Region ended with the unanimous All-American sitting on the court above the top of the key. His disbelieving teammates scattered around, bent over at the hips and staring down.
"Every time I shoot the ball, I think it's in," Nelson said.
The last rebound landed in Lucas' arms. He celebrated by racing toward the stands and jumping into his father's arms.
The family has seen a lot of big shots - the elder Lucas was a former No.1 NBA pick and enjoyed a stellar career before becoming a pro coach. Now the son has a moment to call his own.
"We really didn't say too much of anything, we were just hugging each other and rejoicing," John Lucas said.
Coach Eddie Sutton and Oklahoma State (31-3) thought they deserved to be a top seed more than Saint Joseph's (30-2).
The Cowboys proved it, advancing to play today's Kansas-Georgia Tech winner Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.
The Hawks headed back to their small campus in Philadelphia, the feel-good story of the year in college basketball finally over.
"They will remember this team at Saint Joe's for a long time," CBS analyst Billy Packer said.
Lucas shot 7-for-20 and scored 19, including the final five.
"I had a horrible first half. I shot three airballs. I never shoot airballs," he said. "I told myself in the locker room at halftime that I was going to step up."
It was a frenzied final minute, played without a timeout.
Lucas' jumper put Oklahoma State ahead with 41 seconds left before Saint Joseph's, again relying on outside shots, regained the lead on Pat Carroll's 3-pointer with 29.9 seconds to go.
Lucas got free on the left wing and hit the biggest shot of his career. Nelson tried to answer, but his shot over Daniel Bobik was off-target.
"He's the best player in America. He's been doing it all season," Carroll said. "Who better would you like to have the ball in their hands?"
Oklahoma State earned its first Final Four trip since Sutton took the Cowboys there in 1995.
