OKLAHOMA CITY - Facing an upset, a veteran Oklahoma State team needed a boost of energy from a freshman. JamesOn Curry's energetic play was the difference for the second-seeded Cowboys in their 63-50 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Friday in the Chicago Regional.

Southeastern Louisiana's Thomas Woods (20) reaches for the ball as Oklahoma State's JamesOn Curry (24) goes up for a shot in the first half of a first-round NCAA tournament game in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 18, 2005. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Curry sliced into the lane and found Ivan McFarlin cutting to the basket for a layup, and the Cowboys turned a three-point lead into a comfortable edge down the stretch.

Curry added a free throw, then found McFarlin for another basket inside to make it 49-43 Oklahoma State. Terrence Crawford emphatically jammed home a miss by John Lucas III, and Curry hit a 3-pointer from the left wing then pumped his fist.

McFarlin scored 18 points to lead the Cowboys, a Final Four team last season.

The Lions, trying to become only the fifth No. 15 seed to upset a second-seeded team, were within 44-41 midway through the second half after an 11-3 run fueled by Ricky Woods' ability to get inside the Oklahoma State defense and cause havoc.

Woods sank a leaning flip against Crawford, finished a whirling drive down the left side of the lane and grabbed a deflected pass for a two-handed jam, then drove the lane and dished off to Jonathan Walker to make it 42-39. The teams traded free throws before Curry took charge.

Woods led the Lions with 16 points.

Oklahoma State, which benefited from the absence of top Lions defender Nate Lofton because of fouls in the first half, had trouble making a shot early in the second half. McFarlin was 5-for-6 for 12 points to lead the Cowboys in the opening period, but faced tougher defense with Lofton back in.

Lofton, the Lions' leader in rebounds, blocks, steals and assists, picked up three fouls in the first 7:20 and sat the rest of the first half. He returned to play the entire second half as Southeastern Louisiana used its persistent man-to-man defense to hold the Cowboys to their lowest point total in a win all season.

Southeastern Louisiana hounded Oklahoma State's leading scorers, Lucas and Joey Graham, and forced other Cowboys to take the majority of the shots. Both had been averaging 18.1 points, but Lucas finished with 12 and Graham — who sat out for 5 1/2 minutes after picking up his fourth foul with 7:05 left — had a season-low seven points on only four shots.

Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton picked up his 780th career win, passing Lou Henson for sixth place on the victories list. It also was his 350th win at Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys jumped on top early with 11 straight points to take a 21-9 lead. The Lions fought back to get within 30-24 on a layup by Jonathan Patton, the younger brother of Oakland Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson. Patton scored eight points as the Lions closed the gap with a 10-5 spurt.

Patton, who had 15 points at halftime, limped off the court with 12:09 remaining in the game with an apparent right leg injury. He returned, still limping, with 2:49 left but did not score.