KANSAS CITY, Mo. — TJ Otzelberger nearly let the Big 12 Tournament trophy slip through his hands before adjusting his grip and raising it above his head, but his polo shirt was a little stretchy for the Iowa State team. More that many feel is comically perfect for a college coach.
There was nothing strange about the Cyclones' play Saturday night.
Led by Keshon Gilbert, the best player in the tournament, and with a balanced roster where everyone plays a role, the No. 7 team in the nation effectively defeated No. 1 Houston in the championship game. . Gilbert scored 16 points and the Cyclones won 69-41, winning their sixth Big 12 trophy in their sixth title game appearance.
The margin was the largest against a No. 1 team since UCLA defeated the Cougars by 32 points in the 1968 Final Four.
“I want to give all the credit to the players,” Otzelberger said after cutting the net. “You always hear that we want to play our best at this time of year, and I think there's no question that's what we're doing.”
Milan Momsilovic scored 18 points and Hayson Ward added 13 points for the Cyclones (27-7), who beat five programs for the trophy, including then-current Houston coach Kelvin Sampson. This includes the University of Oklahoma, which was previously
He probably felt even worse Saturday night than he did in 2000. Iowa State went on an 18-3 run to turn a 30-23 halftime lead into a blowout loss like Sampson rarely experienced. And it gave the thousands of Cyclones fans who paint Kansas City red and yellow every March ample reason to stand up and shout their approval.
“You don't often play road games in tournament championships, but guess what? Hats off to the Iowa State fans,” Sampson said. “I've known Iowa State fans for a long time. This isn't the first time we've lost to them in a championship. But don't lose sight of how good you have to be to get here. please.”
It doesn't seem to matter who coaches Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament. Otzelberger became the fourth person to take home that trophy in Ames, Iowa, and the third person to do it in the past 10 completed events.
“We beat a team and a program as good as Houston. You know you accomplished something,” he said.
Jamal Shehed had 10 points on 3-of-17 shooting for Houston (30-4), which trailed 39-18 at the half. The Cougars made 4-of-22 3-pointers and 15-of-56 from the field, but LJ Cryer was held to seven points and Emmanuel Sharpe was limited to five points.
“I'm going to pull myself together. It's been a great year,” Sampson said. “Forty minutes don't define three months.”
Iowa State played Houston's role better than Houston and built a halftime lead.
The Cyclones, who were unusually poised, never faltered even when they fell behind early on. As the Cougars' guards tried to anchor the perimeter, they showed exquisite ball movement for easy layups. And getting those buckets freed up Momcilovic and the rest of Iowa State's sharpshooters to start using their 3-point shots.
Meanwhile, the Cyclones forced Shead into an off-balance runner and a long three at the end of the shot clock. The Big 12 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year went 2-for-11 in the first half, but couldn't get any better in the second half.
Cougars big man Jawan Roberts also had little effect in the semifinal against Texas Tech, as he injured his right foot and played energetically. He started the game and played 13 minutes in the first half before sitting out the second half.
“This game is not as important as his health,” Sampson said.
He probably wouldn't have made a difference in the situation the Cyclones were rolling. He scored his first 10 points to start the second half, and Momsilovic's 3 off the bench extended the lead to 48-23 with 12:40 remaining.
The Cougars made some desperate shots, but escaped the game without making a field goal for 9 1/2 minutes.
It was the last shot in a tournament where the average difference in points was nearly 15 points.
“We don't care what the outside world thinks of us,” Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey said. “That's why we're such a close-knit group. We just put our heads down and go to work. That's why there's no better person to be in this position and celebrate this moment than our team. I don’t think so.”
Iowa State will likely be the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and could earn a favorable landing spot in Omaha, Nebraska, on opening weekend. It's only a 2.5-hour drive from the Ames campus.
Houston was almost certain to earn the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The question now is whether the selection committee will put the Cougars in the same region as Iowa State to set up a possible rematch.
