Iowa State found itself mired in yet another early deficit, only to come back and squeak out a thrilling 67-65 win over Oklahoma to advance to the Big 12 championship game on Saturday.
Three Key Takeaways.
- Iowa State survives another thrilling finish: Up two with nine seconds to go, Iowa State suffered a major defensive breakdown that allowed Oklahoma guard Jordan Woodard to feed a cutting Ryan Spangler underneath on the team’s final possession. To the shock of everyone, Spangler’s bunny wouldn’t fall and the Cyclones survived yet another close game in front of a raucous semi-home crowd at the Sprint Center. Spangler will be the goat for missing such a close shot, but terrible outside shooting (25%) and a 22 percent turnover rate also helped do the Sooners in tonight.
- Rough night for the Big 12 Player of the Year: Buddy Hield is the most dynamic player in the conference due to his ability to tear into defenses at will and carry the Sooners when needed, but there are times like tonight when he tries to do a little too much. Hield tied a season-high with 20 shot attempts, but converted only six of them. Even with Jameel McKay patrolling the paint, the Cyclones have been vulnerable inside, so it stands to reason that Oklahoma wouldn’t have come up short in this one if it had leaned a bit more on TaShawn Thomas or Spangler more than it did.
- Cyclones dig out of a big hole… again: Friday’s victory marked the fourth straight time that Iowa State allowed its opponent to build a significant lead before the Cyclones’ offense woke up and its defense forced just enough stops to get back into the game. Hoiberg and his players have repeatedly expressed the need to avoid those situations to begin with, but they are making a habit of needing big runs to squeak out these wins. Credit is due to Iowa State for having the poise and perseverance to get the job done, but it’s not a sustainable way for a program to do business in March, especially when your head coach and athletic director have significant heart conditions.
Quotable.
- Lon Kruger: “That’s how games are decided. And all of the sudden, you know, the next time you lose, it’s over. This group has responded great all year to ‑‑ after winning, after losing, they have bounced back and practiced well and I have no doubt that they will bounce back with a couple of good workouts next week.” For most of the season, Oklahoma has avoided close games, but seven of their last eight contests have been decided by seven points or fewer. While that may not make Spangler feel better about missing a shot that could have sent his team to its first Big 12 final since the days of Hollis Price, Oklahoma can draw on that experience to be a more controlled team when the NCAA Tournament tips off next week.
What’s Next.
- Iowa State: The Cyclones will square off against Kansas Saturday night with the Big 12 Tournament crown at stake. Additionally, the Jayhawk faithful will try to wrestle custody of the Sprint Center away from the massive Iowa State fan contingency that has again descended on Kansas City this week.
- Oklahoma: Similar to Baylor in tonight’s first semifinal, the Sooners are projected to receive a top-four seed on Sunday evening. The closest first weekend site to Norman is seven hours away in Omaha, so that’s likely where they’ll be shipped out. Despite Friday night’s loss, Oklahoma is a very good team that can win playing any style of ball, which should bode well for this month’s NCAA Tournament prospects.