An Oklahoma State team reeling from three mid-week player dismissals faded late in both halves and Iowa State took advantage to post a 72-59 Big 12 basketball win Saturday evening at Hilton Coliseum.
The win improved ISU to 4-2 in the league and 14-4 overall. The Cyclones will battle Kansas for a share of first place in the Big 12 standings Monday night in Lawrence. I-State and KU now share the top spot in the league with Texas Tech and Kansas State, all log-jammed at 4-2 in conference play.
OSU dressed just nine players for its game in Ames as Iowa State completed the season sweep of the Pokes. The Cyclones won 69-63 in Stillwater on Jan. 2. Oklahoma State also had weather-related travel problems getting to Central Iowa on Friday as planned and ended up flying in for the game on Saturday morning.
The deeper Iowa State team outmanned Oklahoma State as much as it outplayed it, closing the first half on a 19-7 spree and outscoring O-State, 20-12, to finish out the second half and the 13-point win. When the Cowboys had their legs, they battled on even terms with an ISU team that didn't deliver the knockout punch until just over three minutes remained.
After back-to-back threes by Lindell Wigginton staked Iowa State to a 21-12 lead midway through the first half. But Oklahoma State responded with a 10-0 run to take what would be its only lead of the game, 22-21, on a Duncan Demuth three-pointer with 6:21 to play in the opening half.
The Cowboys' lone lead lasted but 24 seconds with Nick Weiler-Babb hitting a three-point field goal with 5:57 to go before halftime to make it 24-22 Cyclones. That triggered an 8-0 surge by Iowa State with a Tyrese Haliburton three at the 4:27 mark making it 29-22. Talen Horton-Tucker made four free throws and Wigginton made a nifty pass to Cam Lard for a dunk to end the first half scoring with ISU on top, 40-29.
Oklahoma State started the second half with two dunks of its own and an 11-2 spurt by the Cowboys got them back within two at 42-40 with 13:39 left in the game. Iowa State led, 52-47, with 7:38 to go before a Lard bucket and five straight points from Marial Shayok quickly re-established Iowa State's control, 59-47, at the 5:29 mark.
Minutes later, back-to-back three-pointers by Shayok and Wigginton extended Iowa State's lead to 16 points at 65-49 with 3:11 left and that was the end of Oklahoma State's realistic chances. The Cyclones held their biggest lead of 16 points on two occasions, the last coming at 67-51.
Shayok led four Iowa State scorers in double figures with 20 points. Wigginton had 14, Lard 12 (in his return to action from injury) and Weiler-Babb 10.
The Cyclones shot well in the first half (14-26) but cooled dramatically over the final 20 minutes to end the game at 41.8 percent from the floor (23-55), including 10-of-25 from three-point range. But Iowa State hit its free throws (17-20) and took care of the basketball with just six turnovers - none after halftime.
Oklahoma State was an identical 23-of-55 from the field (41.8 percent), including 7-of-27 on three-point attempts (25.9 percent). Cameron McGriff led OSU scorers with 17 points.
