Rapid reaction: Oklahoma State falls 87-76 at Iowa State

By Anthony Slater – Aslater@opubco.com - @anthonyVslater

Oklahoma State lost 87-76 at Iowa State on Wednesday. Here’s some rapid reaction:

Turning point

Iowa State came out humming on offense and OSU fell into the Cyclones jump-shooting game. The Cowboys kept jacking threes in the first half. And they kept missing, going into the break 0/9 from deep. You’re not going to beat ISU that way, especially in Hilton. That poor shot selection, along with some atypical lackluster defense, put OSU in a 10-point halftime hole.

It was over when…

…The Cyclones, and their rowdy crowd, closed the pesky Cowboys in the final minutes. OSU wouldn’t go away for much of the second half, cutting it to two at one point. But an 8-0 ISU run, sparked by two deep threes (what else?), made the difference.

What it means

A lot more for Iowa State than OSU. The Cyclones likely secured an NCAA tourney berth with this huge late-season win. The Cowboys, meanwhile, suffered their first regulation loss since Jan. 21. They’ve still won 10 of 12 and finished the season a respectable 5-4 in Big 12 road games. And they’re still locked into a nice seed in the tournament. Did you want it to happen? No. But you can learn a lot from the adversity of a loss. And it’s a lot better than having this kind of performance later this month. Travis Ford’s club was due for a clunker.

Stats of note

-Iowa State had 21 assists on 27 baskets. OSU had 11 assists on 27 baskets. That’s telling.
-OSU finished 4/23 from three. Marcus Smart and Phil Forte finished a combined 2/14.
-Le’Bryan Nash scored in double-digits for the fourth straight game. That’s his longest streak since early December.
-Travis Ford got his first technical of the season on Wednesday. Wait, he only has one? Kevin Durant would have 85 if he practiced some of Ford’s sideline antics.