Posted at 2:07 p.m., Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Illinois tops Oklahoma State, 65-49, in Maui hoops
Associated Press
LAHAINA Trent Meacham scored 17 points and Illinois beat cold-shooting Oklahoma State 65-49 today in the third-place game of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.The Fighting Illini (3-1) bounced back from a 79-66 loss to No. 13 Duke in the semifinals and played most of the game without leading scorer Brian Randle.
The same couldn't be said for the Cowboys (2-3), who lost 91-61 in the semifinals to No. 11 Marquette. The Cowboys shot 30.6 percent for the game (15-for-49), including 6 for 23 in the first half as they fell behind 30-17.
Terrel Harris had 12 points to lead Oklahoma State.
Randle, a 6-foot-8 senior who averaged 14.8 points over the first three games of the season, was injured seven minutes into the game when he was defending Oklahoma State's Marcus Dove on a drive to the basket. An Illinois spokesman said he suffered a left leg contusion and he never returned to the game, finishing without a point.
Calvin Brock added 12 points for the Illini, whose bench outscored Oklahoma State by two points in the first half. Illinois shot 48.9 percent for the game (23 for 47), including 12-for-19 in the second half (63.2 percent) as it went ahead by as many as 21 points, the last time on a free throw by Shaun Pruitt with 3:50 to play.
This was the Illini's third trip to Maui and their previous finishes were a third in 1987 and a second in 2000.
Oklahoma State was making its first appearance in the tournament.
This was the first meeting between the schools since 1954. Illinois leads the series 3-1.