Whistle-Stop Win for Oklahoma State : College basketball: Kansas misses 16 of 23 free throws as No. 2 Cowboys score a hard-fought victory, 64-56.

Eddie Sutton’s voice, rendered hoarse by the events of Saturday’s 64-56 Oklahoma State victory against Kansas, rose only once during his brief postgame assessment.

After staring intently at the stat sheet, Sutton looked up, dabbed a bit of the perspiration from his forehead and said: “That was like an NCAA (tournament) game. That was a war out there this afternoon.”

It was more than that. It was a last stand. A symphony of referees’ whistles. A coming-out party for a 7-foot freshman. A disappearing act for one of the nation’s best forwards. A sweet finish for the coach’s son. A game in which neither team shot better than 40% from the field.

By the time No. 2 Oklahoma State put the finishing touches on its victory against No. 3 Kansas in front of 6,381 fans at Gallagher-Iba Arena, there were nearly as many subplots as fouls called. Everywhere you looked, a potential miniseries.

Start with the last stand stuff. Aside from the lofty rankings--this was the first time in Gallagher-Iba history that two top-five teams had met--Oklahoma State’s Big Eight Conference regular-season championship hopes were at stake. If Kansas won, said Sutton, “the race is over.”

There was also the chance that Kansas, if convincing enough against the Cowboys, could somehow sneak past No. 1 Duke in the national polls. It was a longshot, but who knew?

Whatever the outcome, it wouldn’t be your regular midseason snooze-a-thon.

As it turns out, Saturday’s game was a whistle-fest. In all, there were 52 fouls called--30 against Kansas. When Jayhawk Coach Roy Williams reviews the videotape, he probably will wince once more at the sight of Kansas players clanking free throws. The Jayhawks stood at the line 23 times, but left with only seven points. In the end, it cost them the game.

“That was about as lumpy a game . . . “ Williams said. “It wasn’t very smooth. What’s the opposite of smooth?”

At one point, when Richard Scott missed yet another free throw (he went 0 for five for the day), Williams grimaced and then stared silently at the floor. Williams has had lots of practice with grimacing, especially where Scott is concerned. For the year, Scott has made only 22 of 70 attempts (31%).

In fact, Oklahoma State players welcomed Scott’s arrival at the line.

“We didn’t foul him on purpose,” guard Sean Sutton said, “but we didn’t mind that he was up there shooting.”

Nor did the Cowboys (21-1) mind that Saturday was the day freshman center Bryant Reeves decided to do his Byron Houston imitation. Houston, considered one of the best power forwards in the country, had another so-so performance (for him), getting only six rebounds and scoring 14 points, six of which came on free throws. The point total was seven below his average.

After scoring 30 points against Oral Roberts on Jan. 25, Houston has managed games of 17, 19, 15 and now 14 points. No wonder one of the NBA scouts, here to watch Houston, left the game early.

Reeves didn’t do much better, converting one of three shots. But he had 12 rebounds and blocked three shots. Not bad for a guy whose Gans (Okla.) High team only had seven players. In fact, so small-town is Reeves that he had never been on a plane or visited a big city before accompanying Oklahoma State on its first trip this season.

At season’s beginning, Reeves was so clumsy that Sutton considered redshirting him. But by the end of the first week of practice, the legendary Henry Iba, who often attends the Cowboy workouts, pulled Sutton aside.

“I have never seen someone improve in one week like he has,” Iba said.

Sutton forgot about the redshirt idea.

In the end, though, it was Sutton’s own son who contributed the most. Normally a playmaker, Sean Sutton led the Cowboys with 16 points and committed only one turnover in 36 minutes. It was, his father said, the best Sean has played the entire season.

The key moment came with 3:03 remaining in the game and Kansas trailing by six points, 54-48. About eight minutes earlier, Oklahoma State had led by as many as 17 points.

Then, with Kansas guard Adonis Jordan draped over him, Sutton drove to the basket and was fouled in the process. The free throw stretched the margin to a more comfortable nine points. And later, with 1:41 to play, Sutton had another layup, giving the Cowboys a 59-49 lead.

Kansas (17-2) never got closer than eight points after that.

“I have never coached in a game where the intensity level was like it was,” Sutton said.

You had only to listen to Sutton’s voice to know what he meant.