COWBOYS RIDE HERD ON WOLFPACK, 73-64 (original) (raw)

North Carolina State's "Fire & Ice" senior guard tandem of Chris Corchiani and Rodney Monroe lived up to its nickname yesterday, but not in the way to which it's accustomed.

The third-seeded Oklahoma State Cowboys frustrated Corchiani, put Monroe into a deep freeze and defeated the sixth-seeded Wolfpack, 73-64, in an NCAA tournament East Regional second-round game at Cole Field House. N.C. State's loss breaks up one of the longest running and most productive backcourts in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

Oklahoma State (24-7) moves on to play 10th-seeded Temple (23-9) in a regional semifinal Friday in East Rutherford, N.J. The Owls advanced with a 77-64 victory over 15th-seeded Richmond.

Junior center Byron Houston scored 24 points to become Oklahoma State's all-time scoring leader and the Cowboys made 27 of 29 free throws. However, the story was their defense, which has held opponents to 42 percent shooting this season. The defense fueled a 19-0 run in the middle of the game that put Oklahoma State and its patient offense in control of the tempo.

"All those teams in the {ACC} are very good defensive ballclubs, but maybe not with the same type of defense we advocate," said Oklahoma State Coach Eddie Sutton, whose team plays ball-denying man-to-man in the Big Eight Conference. "When you don't see that kind of defense that much and then you have to face it, it makes it tough."

Monroe (19 points) made four of 16 field goal attempts -- his worst shooting game of the season -- as Darwyn Alexander and Corey Williams made him work hard to receive the ball and usually forced Monroe to shoot on the move. His only basket in the final 30 minutes was a meaningless three-pointer with 16 seconds to play.

Corchiani, guarded mostly by Sean Sutton -- the coach's son -- was usually cut off from the lane. He tried to force matters, and ended up tying his season's worst with seven turnovers. He also got in foul trouble on offense. After losing the ball in a triple-team with a minute left before halftime, he committed his second foul while chasing the loose ball. He was called for an illegal screen on N.C. State's next possession, then charged into Alexander for his fourth foul with a little more than 14 minutes to play.

Asked if he lost his cool, Corchiani said: "I don't think so. It's just part of the way I play."

Monroe also chalked up his difficulties to the normal ups and downs of a game.

"I think I had some great looks at the basket and I took some pretty good shots," he said. "They just didn't fall in."

Monroe finished his career with 2,551 points, third in ACC history. Corchiani ended with an NCAA career-record 1,038 assists. "These are two of the greatest guards ever to play," N.C. State Coach Les Robinson said.

They seemed poised to extend their careers when the Wolfpack led by five points on two occasions late in the first half. However, it couldn't extend the margin, going scoreless for the last two minutes before halftime and the first 4 1/2 minutes afterward. Oklahoma State went from a 34-29 deficit to a 48-34 lead.

But N.C. State worked itself back into contention. With a little less than five minutes remaining, it trailed by 56-54. But from then on, everytime it needed a basket, it couldn't convert.

Oklahoma State created a cushion by scoring twice after the shot clock had ticked below five seconds. The Cowboys then made all 12 free throws in the last 1:13.

"I hate to see {Corchiani's and Monroe's} careers end," Sean Sutton said. "But I'm happy we're moving on."