KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — T.J. Otzelberger practically let the Massive 12 Match trophy slip by means of his fingers earlier than adjusting his grip and elevating it above his head, that polo shirt so many individuals discover so comically tight on Iowa State’s coach stretching just a bit bit extra.
There was nothing humorous about the way in which the Cyclones performed Saturday night time.
Led by Keshon Gilbert, the tourney’s most excellent participant, and a balanced roster wherein everybody has a task, the nation’s seventh-ranked group effectively dismantled No. 1 Houston within the championship recreation. Gilbert completed with 16 factors because the Cyclones rolled to the 69-41 victory, giving them their sixth Massive 12 trophy of their sixth title recreation look.
The margin was the biggest over a No. 1 group since UCLA beat the Cougars by 32 within the 1968 Closing 4.
“I give our guys all of the credit score,” Otzelberger mentioned after reducing down the nets. “You hear it on a regular basis, you wish to be taking part in your greatest this time of 12 months. I don’t assume there’s any query that’s what we’re doing.”
Milan Momcilovic had 18 factors and Hason Ward scored 13 for the Cyclones (27-7), who’ve overwhelmed 5 totally different packages to boost the trophy, together with Oklahoma, which on the time was led by present Houston coach Kelvin Sampson.
He most likely felt even worse than he did in 2000 on Saturday night time. Iowa State used an 18-3 run to show a 30-23 halftime lead into the type of blowout Sampson has not often skilled. And that in flip gave 1000’s of Cyclones followers that paint Kansas Metropolis purple and yellow each March loads of motive to face on their ft and roar their approval.
“Very seldom do you play a street recreation within the championship of a match, however you already know what? Hat’s off to Iowa State’s followers,” Sampson mentioned. “I’ve recognized Iowa State’s followers for an extended, very long time. That’s not the primary time I’ve misplaced to them within the championship. However don’t lose sight of how good you must be to get right here.”
It doesn’t appear to matter who’s teaching Iowa State on the Massive 12 Match, both. Otzelberger grew to become the fourth to take that trophy again to Ames, Iowa, and the third to do it within the final 10 accomplished occasions.
“You beat a group or program pretty much as good as Houston is,” he mentioned, “your guys know they’ve achieved one thing.”
Jamal Shead had 10 factors on 3-for-17 taking pictures for Houston (30-4), which was outscored 39-18 within the second half. L.J. Cryer was held to seven factors and Emanuel Sharp to 5 because the Cougars shot 4 of twenty-two from the 3-point arc and 15 of 56 from the sphere.
“We’ll decide ourselves up. We’ve had an important 12 months,” Sampson mentioned. “Forty minutes just isn’t going to outline three months.”
Iowa State constructed its halftime lead by taking part in the function of Houston higher than Houston.
The preternaturally poised Cyclones by no means wavered after they fell behind early. They exhibited some beautiful ball motion for straightforward layups when the Cougars’ guards tried to lock down the perimeter. And after they acquired these buckets to go, it freed up Momcilovic and the remainder of the Iowa State sharpshooters to start draining 3-pointers.
On the opposite finish, the Cyclones pressured Shead into off-balance runners and lengthy 3s on the finish of the shot clock; the Massive 12 participant of the 12 months — and defensive participant of the 12 months — was 2 for 11 within the first half, and it didn’t get any higher within the second.
Cougars huge man J’Wan Roberts was largely ineffective, too, after hurting his proper leg and taking part in sparingly of their semifinal rout of Texas Tech. He began the sport and performed 13 first-half minutes earlier than sitting out the second half.
“This recreation’s not close to as necessary as his well being,” Sampson mentioned.
He most likely wouldn’t have made a distinction the way in which the Cyclones had been rolling. They scored the primary 10 factors as a part of their run to begin the second half, and Momcilovic’s 3 from in entrance of his bench pushed their result in 48-23 with 12:40 to go.
Resorting to desperation pictures, the Cougars went 9 1/2 minutes with no discipline objective as the sport acquired away from them.
It was one final blowout in a match the place the common margin was practically 15 factors.
“We don’t actually care what the skin world thinks of us,” Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey mentioned. “That’s why we’re such an in depth group. We simply put our head down and go to work. That’s why I don’t assume there’s anybody extra deserving than our group to be on this place and rejoice this second.”
UP NEXT
Iowa State will seemingly be a No. 2 seed within the NCAA Match and will get a positive touchdown spot in Omaha, Nebraska, for the opening weekend. It is just a couple of 2 1/2-hour drive from its campus in Ames.
Houston nearly definitely had locked up a No. 1 seed for the NCAA tourney. The query now’s whether or not the choice committee would put the Cougars in the identical area as Iowa State to arrange a possible rematch.
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