OKLAHOMA SPORTS NEWS

Last Update on March 21, 2010 01:35 EDT

NCAA-CHATTANOOGA-OKLAHOMA ST

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Toni Young scored 16 of her career-high 22 points in the second half and fourth-seeded Oklahoma State rallied from an 18-point halftime deficit to beat Chattanooga 70-63 in the first round of the NCAA women's tournament on Saturday night.

The Cowgirls were missing the nation's No. 3 scorer Andrea Riley, who was suspended by the NCAA for the game because she hit an opponent in the back of the head in the first round two years ago.

Tegan Cunningham scored 19 of her 25 points in the second half for Oklahoma State , which outscored the Lady Mocs 51-26 after the break.

Riley, who averaged 26.6 points per game, cheered on the Cowgirls from two rows behind the team bench as frustrated Chattanooga committed 17 second-half turnovers.

Kayla Christopher scored 15 and Shanara Hollinquest 14 for the No. 13 seed Lady Mocs .

NCAA-NORMAN

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- While making the transition from NCAA Division II, the South Dakota State women's basketball team had to wait four seasons before becoming eligible for the Division I tournament last year. Now the Jackrabbits are becoming tournament regulars.

After winning the Summit League tournament title, No. 14 seed South Dakota State is 2-for-2 in making NCAA tournament fields. The Jackrabbits won a tournament game last year and pushed Big 12 Conference power Baylor to the wire in the second round, a performance they hope to repeat starting Sunday, when they play at third-seeded Oklahoma in a first-round Kansas City Regional game.

The Jackrabbits' success in their tournament debut is encouraging to teams like 11th-seeded Arkansas-Little Rock , which will play sixth-seeded Georgia Tech in the other first-round game in Norman.

NCAA-FRESNO ST-BAYLOR

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Brittney Griner had 18 points and eight rebounds in her NCAA tournament debut, leading fourth-seeded Baylor to a 69-55 victory over No. 13 Fresno State in a first-round game Saturday night.

Griner had a low-key night in her second game back from a two-game suspension for punching an opponent. She blocked only two shots and had none of the dunks that made her an Internet sensation as a high schooler.

But she still controlled the game with her presence inside, helping Baylor hold the Bulldogs to 34 percent shooting.

Hayley Munro and Emma Andrews each scored 13 points to lead Fresno State . The Bulldogs ended the season on a two-game losing streak after winning their first 19 games in 2010. Fresno State fell to 0-3 in the NCAA tournament.

NCAA-BYU-KANSAS ST

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Jacob Pullen scored 20 of his career-high 34 points in the first half to help dig No. 2 seed Kansas State out of an early 10-point hole, and the Wildcats turned away Jimmer Fredette and BYU 84-72 on Saturday night in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Pullen came alive with a scoring flurry shortly after he and Fredette got tangled up in transition in the first half, and K-State wouldn't trail again in earning its first round of 16 appearance since 1988.

Pullen surpassed 30 points for the third time in his career and helped seal the victory with a 3-pointer and six free throws down the stretch. Equally as important as his scoring was his physical defense against Fredette, who had scored 37 points to get the seventh-seeded Cougars past Florida in double overtime in the first round.

Fredette finished with 21 points on 4-of-13 shooting.

NCAA-NORTHERN IOWA-KANSAS

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- Ali Farokhmanesh hit another big 3-pointer with 34 seconds left and Northern Iowa pulled off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament, beating top overall seed Kansas 69-67 in the second round on Saturday.

Northern Iowa won the tempo tug-of-war, grounding the high-flying Jayhawks with in-their-jersey defense, then withstood a furious rally to become the first team to beat a No. 1 seed in the second round since UAB and Alabama did it to Kentucky and Stanford in 2004.

The ninth-seeded Panthers led early and made just enough plays late to pull off the biggest win in their history.

Kansas trailed nearly the entire game, finally pulling close in the closing minutes behind its fullcourt pressure. The Jayhawks never made it all the way back, though, bowing out early in what was supposed to be another title run.

CELTICS-MAVERICKS

DALLAS (AP) -- Paul Pierce scored 29 points, Rajon Rondo added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics stretched their winning streak to four games with a 102-93 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.

Dirk Nowitzki had 28 points and Jason Terry 18 to pace the Mavericks, who had won 14 of 15.

Rondo converted layups on three straight Boston possessions down the stretch, giving the Celtics a 94-91 lead with 2:47 left.

Pierce drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key and Rondo scored on a layup to put Boston in front 99-93 with 1:18 remaining.

Ray Allen had 21 points for the Celtics, beaten by the Mavericks 99-90 in Boston on Jan. 18 in their only other meeting this season.