Last-Shot Victories for Both Oklahoma and Memphis State

DALLAS — Wayman Tisdale made a shot that did a soft-shoe dance around the rim before dropping with three seconds left in overtime as Oklahoma beat Louisiana Tech, 86-84, Thursday night at Reunion Arena.

That was the first semifinal game of the NCAA Midwest Regional, and Memphis State guard Andre Turner cut it even closer against Boston College in the second semifinal.

Turner’s 17-foot, straightaway jump shot with one second left slammed the door on the Cinderella team, Boston College, as Memphis State won, 59-57.

So form prevailed, but barely, as Oklahoma, the top-seeded team in the Midwest, will meet Memphis State, seeded second, Saturday in the regional final.

Perhaps Louisiana Tech, a team that isn’t nationally prominent, and Boston College, an also-ran in the Big East Conference, deserved a better fate.

For sure, both losers had opportunities to upset the favored teams. But that wasn’t the scenario Thursday night.

Tisdale, Oklahoma’s All-American center, turned at the baseline and lofted an eight-foot shot with the score tied at 84-84. The ball bounced ever so softly--five times--on the rim before dropping in.

“It seemed like that shot took forever,” said Tisdale, grinning later in an interview room. “I had three men on me. I was just trying to turn and shoot a quick, smooth shot. I wasn’t trying to run that much time off the clock.”

Boston College was even more devastated than Louisiana Tech. The Eagles had possession with 2:02 remaining and the score tied at 57-57. They went into their version of the four-corner delay offense before a timeout was called with 14 seconds to play.

After the ball was inbounded, forward Roger McCready couldn’t control a pass from teammate Skip Barry. The ball bounced off McCready’s knee and into the hands of Memphis State guard Vince Askew.

Askew penetrated, couldn’t find an opening on the baseline and kicked the ball back to Turner.

“I just took two dribbles and let it go,” said Turner, who had beaten Alabama Birmingham on a jump shot with five seconds left in overtime in a second-round game last Sunday.

“It was probably the worst loss we’ve ever had, at least, in terms of how far we’ve come this season,” Boston College Coach Gary Williams said.

The Eagles (20-11) finished in a tie for fifth in the Big East Conference and weren’t expected to survive the earlier rounds.

Memphis State (30-3) slipped by Boston College without getting much of a contribution from 6-10 All-American forward Keith Lee.

Lee picked up three fouls in the first five minutes and didn’t play the rest of the half. He started the second half but wound up making only 3 of 12 shots and scoring eight points.

With Lee, who has a propensity for getting into foul trouble, not a factor, 7-foot center William Bedford took charge for Memphis State. Bedford scored 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting, lofting the ball over the heads of the smaller Eagles.

Oklahoma (31-5) beat Louisiana Tech (29-3) last December, 84-72, at Oklahoma City. Tisdale got only 12 points in that game and missed 13 of 16 shots. Thursday night, the 6-9 center, who is closer to 6-7, got 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting.

The game was expected to be a shootout between Tisdale and Karl Malone, Louisiana Tech’s 6-9 center. Malone got 20 points but was bottled up most of the second half by Oklahoma’s sagging defense.

Oklahoma led by as many as eight points in the second half, but Tech, a poor outside shooting team earlier, came back to tie the score at 74-74 on wingman Willie Bland’s follow shot with 19 seconds left in regulation play.

The Sooners disdained a timeout at that juncture. Guard Linwood Davis shot and missed, and Malone grabbed the rebound with four seconds to play. Louisiana Tech didn’t call a timeout, though, and forward Robert Godbolt didn’t come close on a desperation jumper.

Oklahoma never trailed in the overtime and had an opportunity to wrap it up with 36 seconds remaining while leading, 84-82.

That’s when Sooner wingman Anthony Bowie decided to drive for the basket instead of holding the ball and inviting a foul.

It was a move that would make basketball purists wince.

But Oklahoma only knows one speed, and slowdown or delay tactics are foreign to its style of play.

Bowie was cited for an offensive foul, and Louisiana Tech was still alive. Godbolt made two free throws with 18 seconds to play, tying the score. Then Tisdale did his bouncing-ball number at the other end.

After Tisdale’s basket, Louisiana Tech inbounded the ball to Malone, who, instead of shooting or calling a timeout, passed to guard Wayne Smith.

Smith called time with one second to play. When play resumed, Godbolt lofted an alley-oop pass to Malone near the basket. But he couldn’t get the shot down as the game ended.

“I could see the ball coming,” Malone said, “and I got a hand on it. But I couldn’t get the handle on it.”

Tisdale, who was guarding Malone at the time, said: “He (Malone) was trying to dunk it over me and he would have fouled out of the game if it hadn’t ended.”

In the second semifinal game, Memphis State moved away from Boston College early in the second half after the teams were tied, 31-31, at halftime.

Lee wasn’t a factor, but Bedford was. The Tigers led, 53-41, with 9:02 to play, and a rout seemed imminent.

But Boston College, which doesn’t have a starter taller than 6-8, disrupted Memphis State with pressing, trapping tactics.

Eagle guard Michael Adams calls it “ugly ball,” and the Tigers probably would agree.

Boston College forced turnover after turnover and went on a 12-0 run to tie the game at 53-53.

Then, with the score tied again at 57-57, Boston College rubbed time off the clock, trying to set up a final shot. It never came. Turner took it instead.

Turner wasn’t exactly elated, though, by the pressure situation.

“I never enjoy it when it comes to one shot,” he said. “I’d rather for us to be up by 10 or 12 and be able to rejoice.”

He may feel differently today.

Midwest Regional Notes

Louisiana Tech Coach Andy Russo has said that Billy Tubbs reneged on a contract to bring his Oklahoma team to Ruston, La., three years ago. “I didn’t want to go there,” Tubbs said. “I used to go when I was (coaching) at Lamar and I had to. I think a perfect schedule is to play all your games at home.” Russo said that Tubbs had assured him that he would definitely honor the commitment to play in the opening game of Tech’s new arena. . . . Boston College guard Michael Adams, on his team’s style: “We consider ourselves a bunch of misfits. We’re just a bunch of scrappy guys. We don’t look good doing it, but we get the job done.” . . . The Eagles came into the Midwest Regional with a 20-10 record, losing only to Big East opponents. . . . Wayman Tisdale, Oklahoma’s junior All-American center, wouldn’t confirm nor deny reports that he’ll become available for this year’s NBA draft.