Field Level Media
Mar 2, 2018
Oklahoma still is a far cry from the team it was in mid-January when the Sooners rose to a No. 4 ranking behind the phenomenal play of freshman Trae Young.
However, after a 81-60 win over Iowa State on Friday at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., the Sooners figure to at least have a shot at the NCAA Tournament.
Oklahoma started its regular-season finale a bit sloppy but then began to pull away from the Cyclones late in the first half.
It was just Oklahoma's second win in the past nine games as the Sooners improved to 18-12 overall and 8-10 in Big 12 play heading into next week's conference tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
Kameron McGusty led the Sooners with 18 points while Christian James and Young added 15 each. Young hit just 5 of 19 shots from the floor. Kristian Doolittle led Oklahoma with 10 rebounds.
Lindell Wigginton led the Cyclones (13-17, 4-14) with 20 points. Jeff Beverly had 11 points and 15 rebounds while Donovan Jackson scored 10 points.
Oklahoma will have to wait until Saturday's slate of Big 12 games to learn its spot in the conference tournament. The Sooners could finish as high as sixth or as low as ninth. A sixth-place finish would earn Oklahoma a bye into Thursday's quarterfinals, while a lower finish would necessitate playing a Wednesday first-round game.
Iowa State will have no such drama. The Cyclones are the No. 10 seed and will open the tournament Wednesday against the No. 7 seed.
Oklahoma made just 7 of 29 3-point attempts, but Iowa State was even worse. The Sooners held the Cyclones to just 13 percent (3 of 23) from behind the arc.
The Cyclones' 60 points were the lowest total for a Sooners opponent all season and the seventh time this season Iowa State was held to 60 or fewer points.
About four minutes into the game, Oklahoma's Khadeem Lattin -- the lone senior on the Sooners -- blocked Zoran Talley's shot under the rim to set Oklahoma's career record with 231 blocks.
After the game, Lattin -- who fouled out with nearly six minutes remaining -- grabbed an oversized Oklahoma flag and waved it around at midcourt in a send-off following his final home game as a Sooner.
--Field Level Media