Bank open for ISU

AMES - Scott Christopherson drove, set and let fly.

The shot Iowa State was not expected to need Wednesday night against outmanned, but gutsy Oklahoma State - a potential game-winner at the buzzer - spun toward the basket.

Sailing ... a little long ...

Until it clanked off the glass and dropped in.

Christopherson and his teammates exulted, the public address announcer shouted, “Unbelievabale,” and the Cyclones emerged with a madcap 71-68 Big 12 win before 12,397 magic-tinged fans at Hilton Coliseum.

“I've never done something like that before,” said Christopherson, who scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half. “Not even in high school. Not even in middle school. It was a good feeling.”

Christopherson inbounded the ball to Chris Babb with 4.8 seconds left.

Babb curled a pass back to Christopherson who set, shot and held his breath.

“I didn't think it was going in,” said Christopherson, who celebrated by standing on the scorer's table as fans screamed their approval. “It's just one where because of the time, you're just trying to get the shot up to the basket. I wasn't trying to bank it. We'll take them anyway we can get them.”

ISU (13-5, 3-2) appeared lackluster at times - particularly with rebounding and help defense - and needed big plays from Christopherson and sixth man Tyrus McGee to send the pesky Cowboys (9-9, 2-3) to the sidelines in utter disbelief.

The Cyclones reached conference season win No. 3 on Jan. 18 - and did it after falling behind 66-60 with 3:06 left.

Last season, the team's third Big 12 triumph didn't come until March 2.

“You find a way to grind it out,” ISU coach Fred Hoiberg said. “Which we did.”

Barely.

McGee's strip of Markel Brown with 4.8 seconds left set up the miracle finish.

The ball caromed off Brown's leg and out of bounds.

“I (have) a lot of turnovers in game situations,” McGee said of some past performances. “I needed to make up for that.”

Not Wednesday.

The instant-energy guard grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, joined Christopherson and Royce White with 17 points and didn't lose one turnover.

“He was our energy guy all night long,” Hoiberg said. “If we didn't have Tyrus, no way we stay in this ball game.”

Keiton Page and Le'Bryan Nash each scored 21 points for the Cowboys.

White sat out nearly 13 minutes after picking up two fouls, which helped explain the rebounding woes.

White scored seven points in the first half before being called for a charge with 12:56 left.

He continued to thrive inside and out - he hit his second 3-pointer in as many games - early in the second half, but the Cowboys wouldn't relent.

Youthful Oklahoma State (9-9, 2-3) has lost seven of their past 10 games and haven't won on the road in the Big 12 since outlasting the Cyclones, 69-64, Feb. 17, 2010.

The Cowboys start three freshman - two are redshirts - and features just one senior in Page.

“Literally every team in our league, if you don't come to play every night you not only can get beat, you can get your butt kicked,” Christopherson said.

OKLAHOMA ST. (9-9)

Nash 10-19 0-1 21, B. Williams 1-6 1-4 3, Page 7-12 2-2 21, Cobbins 5-6 0-0 10, Brown 3-8 2-2 9, Guerrero 0-4 0-0 0, Soucek 2-2 0-1 4, Sager 0-0 0-0 0, Jurick 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-57 5-10 68.

IOWA ST. (13-5)

Babb 2-7 1-2 5, Ejim 3-5 2-4 8, Allen 1-4 2-2 5, Christopherson 5-11 4-4 17, White 7-10 2-4 17, Booker 1-2 0-0 2, Gibson 0-0 0-0 0, McGee 6-11 0-0 17. Totals 25-50 11-16 71.

Halftime_Iowa St. 31-29. 3-Point Goals_Oklahoma St. 7-16 (Page 5-8, Brown 1-1, Nash 1-4, Guerrero 0-1, B. Williams 0-2), Iowa St. 10-27 (McGee 5-9, Christopherson 3-6, White 1-1, Allen 1-4, Booker 0-1, Ejim 0-2, Babb 0-4). Fouled Out_Jurick. Rebounds_Oklahoma St. 29 (Brown 6), Iowa St. 27 (McGee 9). Assists_Oklahoma St. 21 (Brown 11), Iowa St. 15 (White 6). Total Fouls_Oklahoma St. 16, Iowa St. 12. A_12,397.

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