Cougars down Jags, advance to title game - TW (3-7-06)

[ORUTerry]

Mid-Con Tournament: Cougars down Jags, advance to title game

By MATT DOYLE World Sports Writer

3/7/2006

Parran scores 14, feeds go-ahead shot as Chicago State gets ORU next.

Chicago State will get the opportunity to fulfill its goal of knocking off every team in the Mid-Continent Conference.

David Holston's 3-pointer with 18.9 seconds left broke a 53-all tie and lifted the underdog Cougars past second-seed IUPUI 57-53 in Monday night's Mid-Con semifinal at the UMAC. The No. 6 seed Cougars (11-18) will meet Oral Roberts -- the only league team they have not defeated this year -- at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the championship.

"At the start of the year, we thought we could beat every team in the conference. The only teams we didn't beat in the regular season was UMKC and Oral Roberts, and we got UMKC (Sunday) night," Chicago State guard Royce Parran said. "The next thing on our agenda is to beat Oral Roberts. If we do that, we're going to the Big Dance (NCAA Tournament)."

Parran put Chicago State one step closer to its first NCAA Tournament berth. The 5-foot-9 guard led the Cougars with 14 points, and his drive into the lane and pass to Holston led to the game-winner.

Parran has averaged 22 points in two tournament games. But he has struggled in the two losses against ORU this

season. He had 19 on 5-of-15 shooting in a 74-65 loss in Chicago on Jan. 2. In ORU's 69-58 win at the Mabee Center, Parran was held to nine points.

"They are a dangerous ballclub with great guards, who have played well in both games here," ORU coach Scott Sutton said. "Again, it's a lot like last year (against Oakland). They didn't have a lot of pressure on them. We're going to have to come out ready to play and do a good job against their guards."