| |
RECAP
|
BOX SCORE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Iowa State has carried the "no
respect" theme about as far as it can go.
Picked in most preseason polls to finish no higher than seventh
in the Big 12, the Cyclones (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 7 AP) completed a season sweep
by adding the Big 12 tournament championship to its regular season
title.
|  | | Iowa State forward Marcus Fizer jams two of his 22 points. |
"We have to play to our potential to get the respect we
deserve," Marcus Fizer said after scoring 22 points as the
Cyclones beat Oklahoma 70-58 Sunday in the championship game.
"If you don't respect us, we go out and beat you," Fizer said.
"I think we're two handfuls," Iowa State guard Michael Nurse,
causing coach Larry Eustachy to wince.
"I think they're just a little excited," said Eustachy, who
spent time at his postgame news conference to complain about a
Sunday morning newspaper article that was all about Oklahoma.
"We've been fighting all year to get respect. We're a tough
team."
The Cyclones (29-4) will not sneak up on anybody now in the NCAA
Tournament. Iowa State has 14 more wins than last season, the
biggest turnaround in school history.
Iowa State easily beat the only Big 12 team it had not defeated
while setting a school record for victories and winning their first
regular season conference championship in 55 years.
Three surges from midway through the first half carried the
Cyclones past Oklahoma (26-6), which had used a stirring
second half Saturday to stop Texas in the semifinals and advance to
the championship game.
This time, the rally was not there. The Sooners (No. 18 ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, No. 15 AP), trailing 35-25
at halftime, got the first basket of the second half, but Iowa
State immediately went on an 8-0 run to lead 46-27 with 13:11 to
play.
"They got it to 20, but we got it back to 10," Sooners coach
Kelvin Sampson said. "If we could have cut it to seven or eight,
we might have had a chance. That's where you've got to get stops -- that's where extra energy, extra effort, extra tenacity comes in.
It was a 12-point game, but it wasn't a close game."
Iowa State, which was made the top seed in the tournament for
the first time in school history, defeated Oklahoma State in the
semifinals. The Cyclones joined the Iowa State women's team as
tournament champions after the women earlier had beat Texas, making
for a joyous weekend for the thousands of Iowa State fans who
annually make the trip to Kansas City for the tournament.
It was the first time men's and women's teams from the same
school each won their tournaments.
Nurse had 14 points and Jamaal Tinsley added 13 for the
Cyclones, who made 21 of 25 free throws.
Eduardo Najera, who had led the second half rally against Texas
and finished with 31 points Saturday, led Oklahoma with 19 points.
"I was not as aggressive," Najera said. "I did a poor job of
leading the team. I take the blame for that."
Iowa State went on a 9-2 run midway through the first half to
open a 17-6 lead before Hollis Price hit a 3-pointer and another
basket to get the Sooners within 17-11.
But Iowa State reeled off six straight points, including a dunk
by Fizer when he got behind the Oklahoma defense on a fast break.
The Cyclones were up 30-13 on a couple of spinning layups by
Tinsley and a basket by Nurse before the Sooners rallied at the end
of the half.
Najera had a couple of baskets and Oklahoma scored the last
eight points of the half to get within 35-25.
Najera finished with nine points in a half in which Oklahoma
shot just 30 percent. The Sooners shot 34 percent for the game.
It has been widely speculated that Fizer, a junior, will apply
for the NBA draft. Fans chanted "One more year" as the
championship trophy was presented to the Cyclones and Fizer was
named the tournament's most valuable player.
| |
ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Oklahoma Clubhouse
Iowa State Clubhouse
Eustachy agrees to new 10-year deal with Iowa State
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Marcus Fizer fights through four defenders for the basket.
avi: 707 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Victor Avila goes over Fizer in the paint.
avi: 592 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Jamaal Tinsley steals the ball and finishes with the spin move.
avi: 655 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
 Larry Eustachy says his team has alot of heart.
wav: 97 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Marcus Fizer says his team fought hard all season.
wav: 90 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
|
