The Texas Longhorns entered Thursday night in desperate need of wins in the Big 12 Tournament. Iowa State, on the other hand, will certainly be in the big dance this year, and was playing for a better seed once the field is announced on Sunday evening. Considering the level of disappointment nationally in Texas this year, Iowa State was a clear favorite. However, until the final minutes of the game, it was Texas in control. But, in the end, March became madness again, as Monte Morris hit a shot at the buzzer to bring victory to the Cyclones and to send the Longhorns back to Austin.

With desperation in the air, the Longhorns played their hearts out for much of the game, dominating throughout. In fact, Texas scored the first basket of the game and wouldn't relinquish the lead until the game's final buzzer. All season long, Texas had a formidable frontcourt, and they proved their dominance against on Thursday. Outrebounding the Cyclones 37-30 and also blocking 8 shots, UT was dominant down low on Thursday night. In fact, Texas did what most teams must do to win games in the postseason: the rebounded well, shot their free throws well and had good guard play. However, what would end up doing a number on Rick Barnes' team was turnovers, as they gave the ball away 14 times, giving ISU plenty of chances to come back.

Iowa State deserves a great deal of credit. They were getting outplayed for much of the game, but they made a phenomenal comeback to cut the lead down and eventually take it as time ran out. At the 3:55 mark of the second half, Texas held a 10 point lead. It was at that point that Iowa State would cut in to the lead. Iowa State would score 10 straight in the next 1:42 of game time, tying the game and putting the pressure on the Longhorns. Following a highly questionable coaching decision by Rick Barnes, Iowa State had one chance to score again before time ran out, and they took advantage. Inbounding the ball with 5.8 seconds remaining, Monte Morris ended up with the ball in his hands and he came up clutch, sinking a shot at the buzzer to allow the Cyclones to move on to the next round of the Big 12 Tournament with a 69-67 victory.

Jonathan Holmes was the top performer for Texas on Thursday night, leading the team in points and rebounds, with 15 and 9, respectively. Isaiah Taylor added 13 points and led the Longhorns with 5 assists. Javan Felix contributed 10 points off the bench. Despite the solid shooting, rebounding and blocks numbers, Texas had a -9 turnover margin on the night.

The scoring was not spread out for Iowa State, but it was effective nonetheless. Monte Morris had a game-high 24 points, including the game-winner at the buzzer. He also led all players with five steals. Georges Niang added 22 points and led the Cyclones with 6 assists. Outside of Morris and Niang, 6 other players who saw the floor for Fred Hoiberg's squad combined for 23 points on 8/29 shooting. Jameel McKay led the team in rebounds with nine.

There will be a lot of questions surrounding the Texas Longhorns this offseason, many of which will begin with "What if?" One of the most hyped teams entering this season, Texas turned into one of the biggest disappointments in the nation, as they will now likely face a year without an NCAA Tournament bid. The next few months will be filled with numerous storylines, including the future of coach Rick Barnes, and predictions about which players will leave school for the NBA. For Iowa State, they played the role of comeback kids yet again, and it will set up a matchup with either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State on Friday night in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. In a time like March, when chaos is the norm, Iowa State will have to either perform better throughout their games, or make their run living (and possibly dying) by the dramatic comeback.

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About the author
Brendan Dzwierzynski
Originally from just outside of Chicago, IL, USA, Brendan is a at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, KS, USA. Brendan has a great deal of experience in broadcasting and journalism. He has won several awards for radio work, including the Best Sports Play-by-Play at the Columbia College Chicago High School Radio Awards, won during his senior year of high school. He currently serves as the FM Sports Director at KJHK-FM. In terms of writing, he currently writes for several publications, including VAVEL, RockChalkTalk.com (an SB Nation website), thewrestlinggame.com, as well as two personal blogs, titled Per audacia ad astra and Press Box Opinions (sports-only). Brendan is a fan of the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs and White Sox, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks and all teams at the University of Kansas.