Oklahoma State

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J -- Oklahoma State got a typically great effort from its defense and a typically strong showing from its inside-outside combination of center Bryant Reeves and guard Randy Rutherford. But the Cowboys are headed to the Final Eight for the first time in 30 years because some unexpected players grabbed the spotlight with the season on the line.Reserve guard Chianti Roberts made two key defensive plays and converted a huge layup in the final two minutes, and point guard Andre Owens forced Wake Forest star guard Randolph Childress to commit the night's biggest turnover, as Oklahoma State overcame a six-point, second-half deficit to take a 71-66 victory in the East Regional semifinals last night before a sellout crowd at the Meadowlands Arena.

No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 Pittsburgh Time: 7:27 p.m. Records: Oklahoma State 29-3, Pittsburgh 31-4. How they got here: Oklahoma State defeated No. 15 Eastern Washington, 75-56, defeated No. 7 Memphis, 70-53; Pitt defeated No. 14 Central Florida, 53-44, defeated No. 6 Wisconsin, 59-55. What to watch for: This has the potential to be one of the tournament's best games. The reason: These teams are really good and should not be meeting in a regional semifinal. A national semifinal or a regional final, OK. But not a regional semifinal.

It has been a long road back for Eddie Sutton, and he has the tired face and tattered past to prove it.Sutton talks about being in the homestretch of his career, and Oklahoma State has given its 59-year-old jockey quite a ride. The Cowboys earned their first Final Four appearance in 44 years -- they face top-ranked UCLA at 5:42 p.m. today -- by wearing down favorites Wake Forest and Massachusetts with second-half comebacks in last week's East Regional.But no member of the Cowboys has come back like Sutton.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- As the East Regional's second seed, Massachusetts is flexing the type of muscle that appears to have the Minutemen headed to Seattle for their first Final Four.Behind a suffocating defense and a superb front line led by senior forward Lou Roe and sophomore center Marcus Camby, UMass has won 11 of its past 12 games and has barely broken a sweat while passing its first three NCAA tournament tests by an average of 21 points.But as the Minutemen prepare for their first regional final today at the Meadowlands Arena, they are turning a wary eye toward the Oklahoma State Cowboys, perhaps the Final Eight's biggest surprise.

Pablo Martin, an Oklahoma State freshman from Spain, shot 69-66-135 to take a three-stroke lead in the individual competition in the Ping/Golfweek Preview tournament at Caves Valley Golf Club yesterday. With Martin and Oklahoma State senior Zack Robinson (68) leading the way in the afternoon, the Cowboys rallied from four shots down to shoot 4-under-par and forge a three-stroke lead in the team chase. They were at 288-276-564. The tournament, featuring 14 of the top college teams, along with host Loyola College, calls for 36 holes of play the first day and 18 the second, with the best four of five scores counting toward a team total for each of the three rounds.

Independence Matchup -- Alabama (6-6) vs. Oklahoma State (6-6) Site -- Independence Stadium, Shreveport, La. Time, TV -- 4:30 p.m., ESPN Line -- Oklahoma State by 2 The game -- Oklahoma State QB Bobby Reid is a dual threat, the Cowboys have three effective running backs and WR Adarius Bowman (57 catches, 11 TDs) had a great season. The flip side? The Cowboys are brutal on defense (371.4 ypg). Alabama QB John Parker Wilson had a solid season (2,539 yards, 16 TDs) but didn't get much help from his running game.

NEW YORK -- How nice of No. 1 Duke and No. 9 North Carolina to get together last night at the Dean Dome and provide a warm-up act for the really big game of the week:No. 3 Kansas at No. 2 Oklahoma State Saturday in Stillwater, Okla.Yup, it's finally time to yield to the incessant breast-beating from the Plains States -- or is it Plain States? -- and admit the Big Eight has long since arrived, and made itself comfortable, among the elite of college hoops."We're the best league in the country," said Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs, who can point to the Big Eight's .882 (97-13)

Troy@Florida Atlantic 8 p.m. [ESPN2] Do not scoff at the Troy Trojans (2-2). After all, they beat Middle Tennessee, unlike another state university we could name. And their schedule includes Ohio State, LSU and Oklahoma State. The Owls (1-4) are no slouches in scheduling, either, facing Texas, Michigan State and Minnesota. And Middle Tennessee, too. (But, like Maryland, Florida Atlantic lost.) The Owls are coached by Howard Schnellenberger, who was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year last season, giving him his first conference coaching award at age 74. This game is at Lockhart Stadium, located next to the Orioles' spring training site.

EAST REGIONAL Buffalo, N.Y. •2 West Virginia 77, 15 Morgan State 50 •10 Missouri 86, 7 Clemson 78 Jacksonville, Fla. •12 Cornell 78, 5 Temple 65 •4 Wisconsin 53, 13 Wofford 49 SOUTH REGIONAL Jacksonville, Fla. •1 Duke 73, 16 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 44 •8 California 77, 9 Louisville 62 ...

COLLEGE PARK -- Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton isn't often wrong. After all, you don't take four schools to the NCAA tournament and win 453 games by making a lot of mistakes.But Sutton almost certainly missed the mark yesterday when he suggested that Oklahoma State and North Carolina State were similar in style."There's very little difference . . . I would think that a series would be even," Sutton said.That may be, but something would have to give along the way.The Cowboys (23-7), the East's third seed, who knocked off New Mexico 67-54 to advance to tomorrow's second-round game here, are deliberate and precise in the halfcourt.