March 13, 2021 Issue, Page 4 of 8

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Sports March 13, 2021 OU men’s basketball: Sooners looking to turn season around after stumble into postseason Joe Buettner, The Norman ment title, tin Reaves, who was named an placed much of the blame for against the Cyclones ought to in Kansas City. A victory would Transcript, Okla. It's a much different place All-Big 12 first-team selection OU's shortcomings on him- be a major benefit as they try to mark OU's sixth over a Quad- than last season's group that on Monday. self. In his second year as an beat them a third time in just a Oklahoma isn't quite where clinched the No. 3 seed in "You have to go out every OU starter, he's emerged as the little over a month. rant I opponent. it expected to be, yet it never the conference tourney and night and play your best bas- team's primary ball-handler and “There really aren't any secrets ‘The Sooners won't have the ruled out the possibility ofplay- would've avoided the Wednes- ketball to win, regardless of who has taken responsibility for forc- toiit," OU coach Lon Kruger said. benefit of rolling into the Big 12 ing a Wednesday night Big 12 day night play-in games for the you're playing, You know there's ing too much late in the Sooners’ "It's a matter of winning indi- tournament with the momen- tournament game. first time since 2016, which also always that possibility you could recent losses. vidual battles and making shots ‘The Sooners, who open this marks the last season the Soon- drop two, three, four in a row, tum they had a year ago. Still, “There's a lot of possessions when you have the opportunity year's tournament at 8:30 p.m. ers won a game in their confer- and that's what we did." in the game that dictate which and try to make it tough on the Kruger's squad doesn't see their Wednesday against 10th-seed- ence tournament. The Sooners were in every way the game goes," Reaves said. other team to try to make shots. entry into the 2021 tourney any ed Iowa State, topped West Vir- Once one of the hottest teams game they lost, dropping three “But when it comes down to that Not as many secrets or not as different than they did a year ginia 91-90 on Feb. 13. The vic- in college basketball, the Soon- games by four points and one time [late in the second half], many unknowns when you get ago before the COVID-19 pan- tory moved OU to second in the ers are stumbling into the post byfive. you can't have those little men- to this point in the season." Teague standings with five regu- season trying to regain their Close contests had seemingly tal errors, and those errors that While beating Iowa State demic halted their season. lar-season games remaining. footing. Perhaps understanding been OU's strength through its "[ think your mentality is the ‘The Sooners went 1-4 through the quality of the conference, 2020-21 campaign. The Soon- will really cost you a game." would be a positive step after a that stretch, losing four con- which had seven of 10 teams ers beat West Virginia twice OU was able to avoid collaps- rough end to OU's regular sea- same," Reaves aid. "You attack secutive games to knock them finish in the Associated Press’ by a combined five points. OU ing against Iowa State, which son, the Sooners also have some each game the same way with an down to seventh in the confer- final top 25 poll, has helped OU topped Kansas by seven, Ala- failed to win a conference game ground to make up with their aggressive, confident mindset ence order. OU must now win not get too down on itself. ama by five and Texas by one. this season but played OU with- NCAA Tournament resume. four games in as many days if “It's a really good conference Reaves, who's averaging 17.5 in 10-or-fewer points in each of If the Sooners prevail, they and I feel like that's what we'll it's to daim a Big 12 tourna- we play in," said OU senior Aus- points and 5.7 rebounds, has the teams' two meetings. will face Kansas at 5:30 p.m. do and that's we would have The Sooners’ proven success Thursday at T-Mobile Center done last year as well.” Providing comfort and Supportfor End, of Life cholces Three Cowboys land top 4 Hospice care provides medical services, emotional support, and spiritual re- sources for people who are in the last stages of a serious illness, such as cancer seeds at national tournament or heart fail re. Hospice care also helps family members manage the practical details and emotional challenges of caring for a dying loved one. Jason Elmquist, Stillwater News- ways chalk like in any tourna- True freshman Dustin Plott Press ment and sport. was the only other Cowboy So the next closest to poten- seeded in the top 20. He is the questions regarding hospice service or eligibility, contact: Oklahoma State wrestling tially exceeded their seeding are No. 18 seed at 174 pounds, and has just three wrestlers who are sophomore Travis Wittlake and will face No. 15 Thomas Flitz of Carrie Perry, RN/ Adminsistrator seeded in the top eight of their senior Dakota Geer. Appalachian State. If he tops the respective weight at the NCAA Wittlake, who was ranked better seed, he would likely face Division I Wrestling Champion- No. 2 at 165 pounds before los- Big 12 Conference champion Pat Welsh, RN/ Coordinator of Patient Care ships, and all three are coming ing in the semifinals of the Bi Demetrius Romero of Utah Val- off of Big 12 Conference cham- 12 tournament to an uni ley, who is the No. 2 seed. pionships. wrestler, was given the No. 10 Fellow freshman Trevor Mas- Some of the most common conditions are: Daton Fix was named the top seed at the weight after not hav- trogiovanni was put in the No. seed at 133 pounds, and will ing wrestled an ranked wrestlers 21 seed at 125 pounds, and will * Cancer * Failure to Thrive * End Stage Cardiac Disease (CHF) await the winner of a pigtail this season. wrestle Northwestern’s Michael + End Stage Cerebrovascular Disease (CVA) * End Stage Amyotrophic between No. 33 Bryce West of He will have a tough path, DeAugustino at the No. 12 seed. Northern Iowa and No. 32 Cole though, if seeding plays out in Senior Austin Harris, Okla- Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) * End Stage Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Rhone of Bloomsburg to decide his bracket. He could face No. homa State’s lone at-large bid, * End Stage Liver Disease * End Stage Renal Disease * AIDS/HIV his first opponent. 7-seed Ethan Smith of Ohio was slotted in at the 30th seed Boo Lewallen landed the State in the second round, and if at heavyweight and was paired + End Stage Neurological Disease such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer’s fourth seed at 149 pounds, and Wittlake were to get the upset, with No. 3-seeded Matt Stencel will wrestle No. 29 Kody Komara he could face No. 2-seed Antho- of Central Michigan. of Kent State in the first round. ny Valencia of Arizona State in ‘The national tournament in carrte AJ Ferrari, who went from the third round. St. Louis is set to start March Perry, RN rofessional, Passionate fourth seed at the conference ‘At 184 pounds, Geer — who 18 with the first round to start tournament to Big 12 champion, was an All-American in 2019 af- at10a.m. Advance, Attentive... vaulted into the fourth seed at 197 pounds, where he will face ter being the 26th seed — is the No. 11 seed and will face No. 22- Follow News Press sports edi- tor Jason Elmquist on Twitter Our Difference Is Our Care No. 29 Colin McCracken of Kent State. There is great intrigue in seed Devin Kane of UNC in first round, @jelmquistSW for updates on Oklahoma State wrestling. his part of the bracket, as well. If there are no first-round up- sets in his pod, Ferrari would Have you ever considered becoming a hospice volunteer? face No. 13-seed Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State — the No. 1 seed from the Big 12 tour- Pair of Cowboys nament whom Ferrari beat in pinned in the consolation semi- return for Big 12 A fulfilling experience in the spirit the semifinals, and then was of giving and receiving. finals and took a medical forfeit in the fifth-place match. Based on seeding, the selec- tion committee predicts just those three Cowboys to be All- Tournament Americans — as the top eight finishers in each weight earn the Jimmy Gillispie, Stillwater ‘Avery Anderson took over and NewsPress blew his previous career-high in honor. scoring — 17 points — out of However, brackets aren't al- Good news for the Oklahoma the water. He scored 31 points State men’s basketball team: on 11 of 14 shooting and 8 of Cade Cunningham and Isaac 10 from the free throw line. Likekele will return to the court “I'm just trying to keep play- You can afford cellular telephone service! ‘Thursday for the Big 12 Confer- ence Tournament. ing my way,” Anderson said. “He's been letting me rock out, ‘They will have returned to so | appreciate him for that. I'm Let Pioneer Cellular show you how! help the Cowboys face West Vir- just going with the same men- ginia at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at tality.” the T-Mobile Center in Kansas Despite how well he played City, Missouri, in the second last game, Anderson acknowl- Everyone should have access to quality, affordable day of the tournament. It will edged having Cunningham and telecommunications. With Pioneer Cellular’s To see if you qualify: mark the first time OSU has be- Likekele back will bolster the Lifeline service, discounted cellular phone service gun the conference tournament roster in Kansas City. Call 800.641.2732 in the quarterfinals since 2017 “Tt changes our game plan a is available to all who qualify by participating in Visit GoPioneer.com/Lifeline lot, because you have different after playing in the first-round certain government assistance programs or having CheckLifeline.org games the past three years. people who can guard any posi- a household income below a certain level. More good news for the Cow- tion, like Ice can guard the five boys is they just beat WVU on and Cade can guard the five,” Saturday in Morgantown, West Anderson said. You could qualify for discounts Virginia, without Cunningham “It’s a big advantage. In prac- and Likekele. tice (Wednesday), we were on basic service ranging from “We'll kind of monitor both looking real electric. Anybody of them,” OSU coach Mike $5.25 to $34.25 per month! Boynton said. “Obviously, Ice can bring up the ball now and we don’t have a set point guard. is a little bit more of a moni- ‘We're just getting out and run- tor situation because he’s been out for longer, so for him it's ning, and it’s looking pretty 'D ufetine where's his stamina. | think it well. It's going to be a different Adiscounted monthly cellular will be fine. OSU basketball team.” service “Then, obviously, finding a test‘OSU enters Thursday's con- having won six of its past rhythm offensively with him seven games. The last four wins back. Cade hasn't missed much v Link Up Aone-time discount that reduces the — he missed one game — and have come over teams ranked in he’s a guy you can plug into any the top 20. lineup and figure it out. The ‘The Cowboys are tied for sec- plan is for both of them to be ond nationally in N.E.T. Quad- cost of initiating service for eligible customers living on Tribal Lands available and play as much as rant-1 wins, helping build their AYN" : they can and give us a chance to. resume for the NCAA Tourna- win. I'm certainly glad to have ment, which begins next week. vy Enhanced Lifeline A larger discount off of monthly them back.” ‘They will learn of their NCAA ‘The Cowboys (18-7) upset Tournament fate Sunday. cellular service for eligible consumers WVU, 85-80, on the road to First, they have to face the living on Tribal Lands close out the lar season. Mountaineers (18-8) on Thurs- The freshman phenom Cun- day, and possibly face top- ningham missed the game seeded Baylor on Friday in the after spraining his ankle two semifinals. Pioneer Cellular days prior in a loss at Baylor. “We've been working on get- Likekele, an OSU junior, re- ting the Big 12 championship mained out of the lineup with and the March Madness one,” an injured hand. Anderson said. “We want both. In their absence, sophomore We hungry.”