In the second game of a huge Big 12 Tournament semifinal double-header, Iowa State and Oklahoma duked it out in a highly competitive matchup. With a rubber game against Kansas on the line for the winner, as well as a bit more favor with selection committee this Sunday, there was a lot riding on this game. In the end, Iowa State was able to grab and lead and held on by the skin of their teeth, narrowly beating Oklahoma 67-65.
The start of the game was very reminiscent of the last matchup between the Sooners and Cyclones, as OU took a lead out of the gate and would not relinquish it. At the 3:41 mark of the first half, Oklahoma had an eight point edge. The momentum shifted quickly however, as ISU went on a 10-0 run in the next 2:37 to claim their first lead of the game. Buddy Hield went on to make two free throws, tying the game back up before heading to the locker room.
The Big 12 Tournament is of course a neutral site event, however it felt a lot like Hilton Coliseum on Friday night, as the Iowa State fans took over the Sprint Center. The de facto home court advantage certainly assisted Fred Hoiberg's squad, for the Cyclones were definitely drawing from the crowd as the game went on. Iowa State had an 8 point lead of their own with 11:44 to go in the game, but that lead was squandered within the next 3 and a half minutes. After a couple of minutes of trading buckets, ISU reclaimed the lead with 5:04 to go and they did not give it up. OU hung tough with the Cyclones, and they had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but Buddy Hield could not get a shot off after rebounding a Ryan Spangler shot. When the dust settled, Iowa State came away victorious 67-65.
For the second straight night, four of Oklahoma's starters scored in double digits. Buddy Hield was 1 of 2 Sooners to have a double-double on Friday, leading the team with 16 points and picking up 10 rebounds. TaShawn Thomas also grabbed 10 boards, along with pouring in 13 points. Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins scored 13 and 14, respectively. Oklahoma lost despite a huge rebounding advantage, with the final margin being 43-27 in favor of Lon Kruger's squad.
Iowa State did a better job of spreading the wealth on Friday than they did Thursday. Georges Niang led the team with 13 points, along with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Jameel McKay scored 12 points and led the Cyclones with 9 rebounds. Monte Morris, the hero from the quarterfinals for Iowa State, contributed 11 points of his own. Off the bench, Bryce Dejean-Jones made an impact by pouring in 10 points in 22 minutes.
One year after a highly disappointing exit in the NCAA Tournament, Oklahoma has more experience and more talent. Even though they did not win the Big 12 nor the Big 12 Tournament, the Sooners will be a real threat in the coming weeks as the NCAA Tournament gets underway. The Iowa State Cyclones, on the other hand, have one more game before the big dance starts. They will be taking on the Kansas Jayhawks for the third time this season, after each team won their home game in the regular season series. It will be a battle of two evenly matched teams, with the conference champions taking on the defending Big 12 Tournament victors. It was an incredible season in the Big 12, and the conference's 2015 finale is setting up to be one for the ages. There may not be much tangible value associated with winning on Saturday night, but one can never underestimate pride in a game between rivals such as this one.