For the second straight game, Oklahoma found itself in a dogfight until the very last second. And for the second game in a row, the Sooners were left grasping for what could’ve been against yet another ranked opponent at home.
While the atmosphere was far from the environment when Texas visited on New Year’s Eve, Oklahoma’s midweek showdown with the No. 25 Iowa State Cyclones was a highly contested affair, with the Cyclones squeaking out a 63-60 win.
Iowa State came out swinging, building an 18-point lead in the first half. Oklahoma responded like a prized fighter on the ropes and countered with a 20-0 run which was sparked by tenacious defense and Bijan Cortes off the bench.
The score was 29-29 at the half. The second half was a close affair all the way through, but Iowa State’s Caleb Grill continued to pace the Cyclones offensively, finishing with 20 points on 5 of 9 shooting. Tanner Groves posted 15 points and 8 boards, while forward Jalen Hill led Oklahoma in scoring with 16 points.
Iowa State’s defensive game plan from the outset was centered on taking Sooners leading scorer Grant Sherfield out of the game. Iowa State sent waves of defenders at Sherfield and it disrupted the talented guard’s rhythm from the jump. Sherfield played 27 minutes and shot 1 of 7 from the field.
The see-saw second half came down to the final seconds with the Cyclones up 61-60 and the Sooners inbounding on their side of the court. An inaccurate feed into the post to Jalen Hill went out of bounds, and Iowa State knocked down the ensuing free throws to make it 63-60. A desperation three was no good for the home team, and the Sooners fell to 0-2 in Big 12 play and 9-5 overall.
Two devastating opportunities at home for resume-strengthening wins have been squandered for Oklahoma. As it currently stands, the Sooners are last in the Big 12. Oklahoma will hit the hardwood looking to snap out of their slide on the road against the Texas Tech Red Raiders. That game is Saturday, January 7, and can be seen on ESPN+.
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