Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Iowa State routs No. 1 Houston
UNLV transfer Gilbert guides Cyclones to Big 12 tournament title
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former UNLV coach T.J. Otzelberger nearly let the Big 12 tournament trophy slip through his hands before adjusting his grip and raising it above his head, that polo shirt so many people find so comically tight on Iowa State’s coach stretching a little more.
There was nothing funny about the way the Cyclones played
Saturday.
Led by UNLV transfer Keshon Gilbert, the tournament’s most outstanding player, and a balanced roster, the nation’s seventh-ranked team dismantled No. 1 Houston 6941 in the title game. Gilbert had 16 points, six rebounds and three steals as Iowa State won its sixth Big 12 trophy in its sixth title game appearance.
The margin was the largest over a No. 1 team since UCLA beat Houston by 32 in the 1968 Final Four.
“I give our guys all the credit,” Otzelberger said. “You hear it all the time, you want to be playing your best this time of year. I don’t think there’s any question that’s what we’re doing.”
The Cyclones (27-7) have beaten five programs to raise the trophy.
Jamal Shead had 10 points on 3-for-17 shooting for Houston (304), which was outscored 39-18 in the second half. The Cougars shot 26.8 percent while missing 18 of 22 of 3-point tries.
Conference finals
■ No. 2 Connecticut 73, No. 10 Marquette 57: At New York, Donovan Clingan had 22 points and 16 rebounds for the Huskies (31-3), who won their first Big East tournament title since rejoining the league four years ago. The Golden Eagles (25-9) trailed 26-24 at halftime.
■ North Carolina State 84, No. 4 North Carolina 76: At Washington, D.J. Horne scored 29 points for the 10th-seeded Wolfpack (22-14), who won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament for the first time since 1987. R.J. Davis had 30 points for the Tar Heels (27-7), who led 40-39 at halftime.
■ Howard 70, Delaware State 67: At Norfolk, Va., Jordan Hairston hit a go-ahead jumper with 4:18 left and totaled 18 points for the fourth-seeded Bison (18-16), who repeated as Mid-eastern Athletic Conference tournament champions. Jevin Muniz scored 24 points for the sixth-seeded Hornets (15-18).
■ Akron 62, Kent State 61: At Cleveland, Greg Tribble hit two free throws after inexplicably being fouled with 4.8 seconds left, giving the second-seeded Zips (24-10) their fifth Mid-american Conference tournament title. Voncameron Davis scored 21 points for the eighth-seeded Golden Flashes (17-17).
■ Saint Peter’s 68, Fairfield 63: At Atlantic City, N.J., Corey Washington scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half to rally the fifth-seeded Peacocks (19-13), who shot 72.2 percent after intermission in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament tinal. The second-seeded Stags (22-12) led 32-25 at the half.
■ Vermont 66, Massachusetts-lowell 61: At Burlington, Vt., Shamir Bogues scored 15 points for the Catamounts (28-6), who won their third straight America East title. The River Hawks (22-10) missed 6 of 8 free throws in the final minute.
■ Western Kentucky 78, Texas-el Paso 71: At Huntsville, Ala., Don Mchenry scored 25 points for the third-seeded Hilltoppers (22-11), who held the fifth-seeded Miners (18-16) to 38.3 percent shooting in the Conference USA tournament title game.
Top 25
■ Wisconsin 76, No. 3 Purdue 75, OT: At Minneapolis, Max Klesmit hit a go-ahead runner in the lane with 4.8 seconds left in overtime for the Badgers (22-12), who sent the Big Ten semifinal to the extra session when Chucky Hepburn made a layup as time expired in the second half. Hepburn totaled 22 points. Zach Edey, who had 28 points and 11 rebounds, was the lone double-figure scorer for the Boilermakers (29-4).
■ No. 12 Auburn 73, Mississippi State 66: At Nashville, Tenn., Dylan Cardwell scored his lone points on consecutive dunks in the final minutes to help the Tigers (26-7) hold off the Bulldogs (21-13).
■ No. 13 Illinois 98, Nebraska 87: At Minneapolis, Terrence Shannon Jr. scored a Big Ten tournament-record 40 points for the Illini (25-8), who overcame a 15-point second-half deficit. Brice Williams had 23 points for the Cornhuskers (23-10) in their first Big Ten semifinal appearance in their 13 seasons in the league.