snuffy
03-04-2009, 07:58 AM
OSU 77, Kansas State 71: ‘Pit bull’ Byron Eaton defies Wildcats
By Andrea Cohen
Published: March 4, 2009
http://www.newsok.com/byron-eaton-leads-osu-to-victory/article/3350241?custom_click=lead_story_title
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford used a football term to describe the attacking defense Byron Eaton faced from Kansas State on Tuesday night, and K-State coach Frank Martin said Eaton used his "pit bull frame” to beat it.
In OSU’s critical 77-71 win over the Wildcats, there was no mistaking that Eaton was the little engine that could on a must-win Senior Night. OSU’s NCAA Tournament hopes are alive and well as the Cowboys (20-9, 9-6 Big 12) head into their regular-season finale at No. 4 Oklahoma on Saturday.
Tuesday night’s game was something of a "play out” game, as whichever team lost had little to no chance of making the NCAA Tournament. K-State is now 20-10, 8-7.
"It was a hard-fought game by both teams,” Ford said. "You could tell for both teams what was on the line.”
In Eaton’s last home game, played in front of 10,402 in Gallagher-Iba Arena, he scored 25 points, including 15-of-15 on free-throws.
He faced intense, full-court pressure from Kansas State the whole game and, Ford said, "They started blitzing with about 10 minutes to go in the game; they started just running people at him.”
With just over 10 minutes remaining, Eaton gave fans a genuine scare, bouncing off K-State’s Jamar Samuels and crashing into the scorer’s table head first.
He was taken to the locker room briefly by the team physician but returned to the court about a minute later.
"I didn’t really know what happened at first,” Eaton said. "I was just really in a daze for a second. They tried to tell me to stay in the back for a second … I was just answering the (concussion test) questions as fast as I could. I couldn’t let something like that hold me back tonight.”
It was a good thing for the Cowboys, who needed Eaton down the stretch. After a back-and-forth second half, K-State tied the score at 64 with 3:40 to play.
With much of OSU’s lineup in foul trouble — senior Terrel Harris had already fouled out with 10 points with more than five minutes to play — OSU’s Obi Muonelo, James Anderson and Marshall Moses knocked down big shots down the stretch, and Eaton hit eight free throws in the last 10 minutes.
"Where Eaton was so good was that he knew we were getting the shooters, so he got inside our defense and utilized that pit bull frame of his to create fouls, and then get to the line and make every free throw.” Martin said. "It is not like we are the only team he has ever done this against. That is what he does.”
By Andrea Cohen
Published: March 4, 2009
http://www.newsok.com/byron-eaton-leads-osu-to-victory/article/3350241?custom_click=lead_story_title
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford used a football term to describe the attacking defense Byron Eaton faced from Kansas State on Tuesday night, and K-State coach Frank Martin said Eaton used his "pit bull frame” to beat it.
In OSU’s critical 77-71 win over the Wildcats, there was no mistaking that Eaton was the little engine that could on a must-win Senior Night. OSU’s NCAA Tournament hopes are alive and well as the Cowboys (20-9, 9-6 Big 12) head into their regular-season finale at No. 4 Oklahoma on Saturday.
Tuesday night’s game was something of a "play out” game, as whichever team lost had little to no chance of making the NCAA Tournament. K-State is now 20-10, 8-7.
"It was a hard-fought game by both teams,” Ford said. "You could tell for both teams what was on the line.”
In Eaton’s last home game, played in front of 10,402 in Gallagher-Iba Arena, he scored 25 points, including 15-of-15 on free-throws.
He faced intense, full-court pressure from Kansas State the whole game and, Ford said, "They started blitzing with about 10 minutes to go in the game; they started just running people at him.”
With just over 10 minutes remaining, Eaton gave fans a genuine scare, bouncing off K-State’s Jamar Samuels and crashing into the scorer’s table head first.
He was taken to the locker room briefly by the team physician but returned to the court about a minute later.
"I didn’t really know what happened at first,” Eaton said. "I was just really in a daze for a second. They tried to tell me to stay in the back for a second … I was just answering the (concussion test) questions as fast as I could. I couldn’t let something like that hold me back tonight.”
It was a good thing for the Cowboys, who needed Eaton down the stretch. After a back-and-forth second half, K-State tied the score at 64 with 3:40 to play.
With much of OSU’s lineup in foul trouble — senior Terrel Harris had already fouled out with 10 points with more than five minutes to play — OSU’s Obi Muonelo, James Anderson and Marshall Moses knocked down big shots down the stretch, and Eaton hit eight free throws in the last 10 minutes.
"Where Eaton was so good was that he knew we were getting the shooters, so he got inside our defense and utilized that pit bull frame of his to create fouls, and then get to the line and make every free throw.” Martin said. "It is not like we are the only team he has ever done this against. That is what he does.”