Oklahoma 65 - 67 8Iowa State
Final
  for this game

Iowa State edges OU to return to Big 12 title game

Mar 14, 2015 - 5:06 AM Kansas City, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - It appeared No. 13 Iowa State would need overtime to take down No. 15 Oklahoma and return to the Big 12 championship game.

The Sooners' Ryan Spangler went up for a game-tying layup in the dying seconds of regulation but the ball slipped out of his hand, and the Cyclones survived for a 67-65 victory on Friday.

Georges Niang had 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists for second-seeded Iowa State (24-8), which beat Baylor last year to capture its second Big 12 Tournament title.

Iowa State will play ninth-ranked Kansas, the Big 12 regular season champs, on Saturday.

Jameel McKay scored 12 with nine rebounds and came up with two key blocks late for the Cyclones, who got 11 points from Monte Morris, the hero in the last- second quarterfinal victory over Texas.

Buddy Hield netted 16 points to lead third-seeded Oklahoma (22-10) but shot 6- of-20 from the floor, including 2-of-13 from 3-point range. TaShawn Thomas had 13 points and matched Hield with 10 rebounds.

Oklahoma closed to within 66-65 when Thomas converted on a putback with 12.6 seconds. Niang was then fouled and made 1-of-2 free throws before Jordan Woodard dished underneath the basket to a wide-open Spangler, who couldn't send the game to overtime.

"Got a great look, feel bad for Ryan for what he's going through right now, but we've got to find a way to pick him back up," Hield said.

The Sooners trailed by eight in the second half before battling back to grab a 58-54 lead on a Hield layup with 5:44 left. Morris, who hit a jumper at the buzzer against the Longhorns, and Naz Long buried 3-pointers during an 8-0 spurt that left Iowa State with a 62-58 lead.

Isaiah Cousins then knocked down a trey for Oklahoma, but Hield had a 3-point try rattle out that would have given it the lead.

McKay followed up a block with a putback and he denied the Sooners on a second straight possession. Niang then banked in a short jumper for a 66-61 Iowa State lead with 1:52 remaining.

The Sooners opened the game with 3-pointers from Hield and Woodard and went ahead by as many as 11 three times in the first half. A Thomas jumper put the Sooners up 21-10 with 9:20 left, but the Cyclones used a 19-6 run to grab a lead before the teams entered the break tied at 29.

"They jumped out on us early. I thought we missed a couple of good looks at the basket and I thought we started rushing our shots a little bit as opposed to letting the offense come to us," said Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg. "Once we calmed down, I was glad to see we were able to pull back even at the half and come out and get off to a nice run in the second half."

Game Notes

Oklahoma hasn't advanced to the Big 12 championship game since winning the last of its three consecutive titles in 2003 ... Iowa State scored 17 points off 14 Oklahoma turnovers ... The Sooners owned a 43-27 rebounding advantage.






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