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Costly technical foul ignites massive Iowa State comeback
The most important play in Iowa State's come-from-behind victory on Monday night might was made by someone wearing the opposing colors.
Oklahoma's Isaiah Cousins awakened the Cyclones from their game-long slumber with a technical foul that he now probably wishes he hadn't committed.
When Oklahoma's Ryan Spangler swatted a shot by Georges Niang out of bounds with his team leading by 20 points five minutes into the second half, Cousins shouted something profane in the direction of the Iowa State bench. Referees assessed a technical foul on Cousins for abusive language, igniting an unfathomable run from the Cyclones that propelled them to a 77-70 victory.
Iowa State scored on seven straight possessions immediately after the Cousins technical, stringing together stops and parlaying them into transition opportunities. The surge reached 22-0 when Dustin Hogue buried a corner 3-pointer to give the Cyclones their first lead of the game and 37-8 when Monte Morris sank a jumper to extend the advantage to nine with five minutes to go.
The best players on the floor during the comeback were Niang and Monte Morris, who thrived during a fast-paced, free-flowing second half and combined for 40 points after halftime. Before its improbable rally, Iowa State was in danger of losing three in a row and falling for the second straight time on its home floor for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Iowa State's victory ensured Kansas will win at least a share of the Big 12 crown for an astonishing 11th straight season. The only league title streak longer than that of the Jayhawks in college basketball history belongs to UCLA, which captured 13 straight from 1967-79.
To put into perspective Kansas' unparalleled consistency in the topsy-turvy one-and-done era, consider the sporadic struggles of some of college basketball's other blue bloods. UCLA is in jeopardy of missing the NCAA tournament for the third time in six years. North Carolina settled for an NIT bid in 2010 and Kentucky did the same in 2013. Just when it seemed Indiana had returned to national prominence, the Hoosiers didn't qualify for any postseason tournament last year.
Iowa State had hoped to be the team to end Kansas' streak this season, but the Cyclones squandered their chance with a bad loss at Texas Tech on Jan. 24, a rare home loss against Baylor last Wednesday and an unexpected one-point loss at Kansas State two days ago. The Cyclones (21-8, 11-6) can still finish no worse than a tie for second place if they close the regular season with a victory at TCU on Saturday.
Had Oklahoma held its lead Monday night, the Sooners (20-9, 11-6) would have had a chance to either claim a share of the Big 12 title or win the league outright Saturday against Kansas depending on how the Jayhawks fared at home against West Virginia earlier in the week. Now the Sooners will have to hope that the Mountaineers can pull off a rare upset at Allen Fieldhouse to secure even a co-Big 12 title.
Cousins' technical foul was a big factor in Oklahoma letting that chance slip away, but it was far from the only reason the Sooners lost. They collectively wilted in the face of Iowa State's onslaught, surrendering 59 second-half points after giving up just 18 before halftime.
Oklahoma didn't play much defense in the second half, nor did it do much to keep Iowa State off the offensive glass. The Sooners compounded their problems by taking quick shots and committing turnovers, fueling the Cyclones in transition.
Monday night's outcome adds to the sense of mystery surrounding the non-Kansas portion of the Big 12's upper echelon.
Iowa State and Oklahoma both showed in stretches that they have the firepower to make a deep NCAA tournament run. The Cyclones and Sooners also showed in stretches that they can be complacent and listless enough to be potential early-round upset victims.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
