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College basketball: March Madness 2005
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Cowboys ride the Warrior
By wire services
Published March 21, 2005
OKLAHOMA CITY - Ivan McFarlin showed why his Oklahoma State teammates call him "The Warrior."
With leading scorer Joey Graham of Brandon High on the bench with four fouls, McFarlin powered a 10-2 run that extended Oklahoma State's lead, and the Cowboys beat seventh seed Southern Illinois 85-77 Sunday in the second round.
McFarlin, a 6-foot-8 forward, made 10 of 13 shots and was 11-for-12 from the free-throw line. His 31 points were a single-game high in this year's tournament. None were more impressive than the ones he scored during the decisive run for the No.2 seed.
"I was just feeling it," said McFarlin, a fifth-year senior.
Oklahoma State has advanced to the round of 16 in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1991-92. The Cowboys (26-6) play No.3 seed Arizona next in a meeting of the two oldest coaches in the tournament. Arizona's Lute Olson is 70; OSU's Eddie Sutton is 69.
McFarlin, the Cowboys' interior workhorse, has thrived in the tournament, averaging 11.8 points and 9.5 rebounds in nine previous games. Teammates dubbed him "The Warrior" for his blue-collar attitude on the court that is completely the opposite from his lighthearted, jovial demeanor off it.
"He comes out every night and gives it all he's got," teammate John Lucas said. "I don't know how he's able to stay up and joke around with us on the bus ride, the way he plays."
In the run, McFarlin first scored on a reverse layup from a pass by Terrence Crawford, then returned the favor with a pass to set up Crawford's right-handed jam.
After Stetson Hairston answered with a driving layup for Southern Illinois, Lucas hit a jumper in the lane before McFarlin added two layups under the basket against LaMar Owen.
He went stumbling downcourt after a steal on the Salukis' next possession and got up with a big smile after he and Matt Shaw got tangled up. His two free throws gave Oklahoma State a 68-57 lead, its largest.
The Salukis (27-8) got back within 72-68 on a 3-pointer by Jamaal Tatum, but JamesOn Curry called for the ball and answered with a 3-pointer. The Cowboys hit all eight of their free throws down the stretch and McFarlin added a two-handed jam with 44.3 seconds left to keep his team ahead.
"He just dominated us physically," Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery said. "It was all toughness."
SIU led 52-51 after a 6-0 run capped by Darren Brooks' free throw with 14:22 left. That foul was on Graham; it was his fourth, and McFarlin replaced him.
[Last modified March 21, 2005, 01:51:06]
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