By Wendell Barnhouse
Big12Sports.com Correspondent
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – “At the buzzer” is becoming a favorite phrase for Iowa State fans.
Just over 24 hours after Monte’ Morris beat the clock with a game winner to defeat Texas and avoid overtime, the Cyclones benefitted from some Hilton Magic, Southern Version. Oklahoma’s Ryan Spangler missed a wide open layup with three seconds remaining and No. 2 seed Iowa State (24-8) prevailed, 67-65, Friday night.
“Sorry to the fans that we keep doing that to them,” said Iowa State’s Naz Long, acknowledging that the Cyclones have won their last four games after trailing by double digits.
The defending champions of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Championship will face top-seeded Kansas at 5 p.m. Saturday in the title game. When the Jayhawks faced Kansas State in 2010 in the Sprint Center the atmosphere was electric and tickets were coveted. The 2015 title game could knock that off the charts.
“It's an exciting feeling,” said Iowa State’s Jameel McKay, who was not on last year’s team but is a key contributor to this one. “I feel like we let one go the last time (at Allen Fieldhouse) and this was our time on the big stage to get some revenge.”
Third-seeded Oklahoma (24-10) was hoping to reach the Championship game for the first time since 2003 and its start was promising. The Sooners built a 21-10 lead in the first two minutes as Iowa State missed 11 of its first 13 shots and was 0-for-9 on 3-pointers.
On March 2 in Ames, the Sooners had a 22-point lead in the second half but the Cyclones stormed back for a 77-70 victory.
“The comeback kids strike again,” said Iowa State’s Georges Niang, who led a balanced attack with 13 points. “I'm not saying being down double digits for those last couple of games is a good thing. “But there is no quit in this team.”
Sixth man Bryce Dejean-Jones made Iowa State’s first 3-pointer with 2:31 left in the first half. That was part of a 21-6 run that stretched into the first five minutes of the second half. The Cyclones heated up, making 9-of-11 shots for a 40-33 lead with 15:41 to play.
Oklahoma staged its own comeback and went up 58-54 on Buddy Hield’s follow shot with 5:44 remaining. Iowa State responded with an 8-0 run and a Niang step back, one-footed bank shot from just outside the lane put the Cyclones up 66-61 with 1:52 left.
Niang made one of two free throws with 9.2 seconds remaining for a 67-65 lead. The Sooners, without any timeouts, inbounded to point guard Jordan Woodard whose orders were to create a shot or find an open man.
Morris and Niang fouled up a defensive switch with both covering Woodard as he drove. Spangler was unguarded, sprinted to the basket and took a pass from Woodard. He bobbled it slightly and his layup rolled off.
“I don’t know how Spangler missed that, man,” Morris said.
In the Oklahoma locker room, Spangler had a towel over his head and through tears declined to speak with reporters.
“What he needs to realize is he was a big part of us even being that close,” said TaShawn Thomas. “It happens. It’s not the end of the world. We’ve still got the NCAA Tournament.”
“His head is still gonna be held high,” Woodard said across the locker room from the crestfallen Spangler. “He’s a soldier.
“He’s gonna come back and redeem himself next week in the NCAA Tournament,” Woodard said.
“What he needs to realize is he was a big part of us even being that close,” said TaShawn Thomas. “It happens. It’s not the end of the world. We’ve still got the NCAA Tournament.”
And Iowa State, having set a school record with its fifth consecutive conference tournament victory, has a spot in the Big 12 Championship game for a second consecutive season.