DALLAS, March 15 (UPI) -- Hollis Price scored four of his 26 points in overtime Saturday as sixth-ranked Oklahoma fought off an upset bid and moved into the championship game of the Big 12 Conference tournament for the fourth straight year with a 67-60 victory over Texas Tech.
Oklahoma will meet Missouri in the championship game Sunday, the Tigers having upset the No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks, 68-63.
Texas Tech (18-12) lost all three meetings with Oklahoma this season, including a controversial 69-64 overtime defeat on Jan. 20. Price went the length of the court for a runner that forced the extra session in that game, although it later was revealed that the clock did not start on time.
Texas Tech Coach Bob Knight has complained throughout the season that the Sooners should have forfeited the game -- even though it took place nearly two months ago. It has caused an apparent rift between Knight and Oklahoma Coach Kelvin Sampson, and the two barely shook hands after the game.
Price hit a jumper to open the scoring in the extra session before Robert Tomaszek's follow shot tied it for Texas Tech. Ebi Ere made a three-pointer with 3:38 to go, giving the Sooners the lead for good at 61-58.
The margin was 61-60 when the Red Raiders lost the ball and Price scooped it up. He went in for a layup and a three-point lead with 58 seconds to go.
Texas Tech was held scoreless over the final 3:12.
Oklahoma (23-6) can win its third straight Big 12 tournament Sunday with a victory over Missouri. The Tigers handed the Sooners their worst loss of the season, 67-52, on Feb. 26.
Arthur Johnson brought Missouri its win over Kansas with a pair of big baskets down the stretch that helped rally the Tigers from an 11-point deficit in the second half.
Missouri (21-9) reached the championship for the first time since the inaugural Big 12 tournament in 1997. The Tigers avenged a pair of regular-season losses to the Jayhawks.
"It's kind of like a story book," Johnson said. "We talked about it -- just keep doing the things, keep playing hard every game and we might have a chance to run into these guys again out on the road. And it happened that way."
Johnson got excellent low-post position on Kansas' Jeff Graves and scored easily to give Missouri a 65-63 lead with 3:27 remaining. Aaron Miles came right back with a layup nine seconds later -- his only basket of the game -- to tie it.
After each team missed a shot, Johnson again got good position on Graves and the 6-9, 265-pound center scored to give the Tigers the lead for good.
"I just had to get going," Johnson said. "I started out slow in the first half. The second half, I just kept fighting and I was able to make some key baskets."
Keith Langford threw the ball out of bounds on the next possession for the Jayhawks' 13th turnover. Ricky Clemons made two foul shots for Missouri for a four-point lead with 26 seconds to go.
Rickey Paulding made five three-pointers and led the Tigers with 21 points. Travon Bryant scored a season-high 18 points and Johnson finished with 12 for Missouri, which shot 16 free throws in the second half after attempting three in the first 20 minutes.
"There was a lot of toughness and perseverance, the first half there was we just couldn't get going," Missouri Coach Quin Snyder said. "But we refused to get away from our game plan, which was to throw the ball inside. The guys were really committed to playing that way."
Kansas (25-7) built a 34-26 halftime lead despite 32 percent shooting. The Jayhawks held a 13-2 advantage in foul shots in the first 20 minutes to build the lead.
A layup by Kirk Hinrich gave the Jayhawks a 44-33 advantage nearly four minutes into the second half. The lead was still 52-43 after a basket by Langford with 11:34 remaining.
A three-pointer by Paulding triggered eight straight points that pulled Missouri within one point. Ricky Clemons made a shot from beyond the arc to give the Tigers their first lead of the second half at 56-55 with just over seven minutes to go.
