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Texas and Big 12 Basketball Capsules: Griner double-double leads Bears past La-Lafayette
Comments 0 | Recommend 0WACO — Brittney Griner played only 19 minutes Saturday, but the 6-foot-8 Baylor freshman sure made an impact on coach Errol Rogers and his Ragin' Cajuns.
Griner had 14 points and a career-best 14 rebounds, and her five blocked shots keyed a stifling defense that helped the No. 8 Lady Bears beat Louisiana-Lafayette 89-42 in the World Vision Basketball Challenge.
"She affects the way everybody plays," Rogers said. "She's going to change the face of the women's game."
Morgan Medlock added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Bears (5-1), while Ashley Field chipped in 13 points and Melissa Jones 10.
Alexis Green had nine points and Jessica Sigue eight for the Ragin' Cajuns (0-5).
With Griner on the court, the Lady Bears held the Ragin' Cajuns to 4-of-29 shooting, beat them on the boards 30-11 and outscored them 34-0 in the paint.
Griner helped frustrate forward Mercedes Johnson, Louisiana-Lafayette's leading scorer at 17 points per game. Johnson was held scoreless in 13 minutes, with no rebounds four turnovers and four fouls.
"Brittney's presence in the paint allows us to do a lot of things out on the perimeter, get in the passing lanes and pressure people without fear of getting beat on the backside," said Baylor coach Kim Mulkey. "It's security for all of us."
Griner was dominant on both ends during a 17-0 run that put Baylor in control, 25-8, midway through the first half. She had six points and six rebounds during the run, and the attention she commanded in the post repeatedly freed up teammates for easy baskets inside.
"Our kids played hard the first five minutes, but then they turned up their intensity level and we just buckled," Rogers said. "That's why they're in the Big 12. You have to be able to turn on that intensity and keep it up. We didn't protect the ball, and we let them intimidate us."
Nine of the Lady Bears' first 10 buckets came in the paint, and Griner's 10-foot baseline jumper was their only basket from outside until Melissa Jones nailed a 3-pointer with 10:59 left in the opening half.
"We were just fortunate to put a body on her, box her out and prevent her from getting a dunk," said Rogers, whose team avoided becoming the first school to be dunked on by multiple players, after LSU's Sylvia Fowles did it in November 2007.
Things didn't get much better for the Ragin' Cajuns after Griner sat down. Even with most of their starters on the bench, the Lady Bears closed the first half with an 18-3 run to take a 43-13 lead. They also padded their advantage after clearing the bench in the second half, despite a season-high 26 turnovers.
Baylor finished with a 50-24 edge on the boards and a 64-14 advantage scoring in the paint. The Lady Bears also held the Ragin' Cajuns to 26 percent shooting (16 of 62), the fourth time in six games they've limited opponents to 27 percent or less.
Nash's 3-pointer lifts No. 13 Texas over Rutgers
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands — Kathleen Nash's 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left lifted No. 13 Texas to a 70-67 victory over Rutgers on Saturday night in the Paradise Jam.
Texas led by 12 early in the second half before Rutgers rallied. Brittany Ray, who was the tournament's MVP, hit a layup with 7.6 seconds left to tie the game at 67 before Nash connected on a 3-pointer from the corner to give Texas the victory.
"I'm so proud of this team tonight," Texas coach Gail Goestenkors said. "We started off strong, and I was pleased with the way we competed. We could have closed it out by hitting a few more free throws earlier in the game, but we played a really great team down to the final possession."
Ray finished with 17 points and Monique Oliver added 13 points and nine rebounds for Rutgers (3-3). Khadijah Rushdan, who injured her knee against Georgia on Nov. 22, played for the first time since then and scored eight points.
"This one is real tough," Rutgers coach C. Vivian Stringer said. "It's much easier to lose by 15 than one (point) and one at the buzzer. We had a go at it and just didn't get it done."
Brittainey Raven led Texas (4-2) with 15 points. Ashleigh Fontenette added 12.
Texas had a three-point lead at the half and extended it to 47-35 with a 15-6 spurt to open the second half. Rutgers scored the next 13 points to take a 48-47 lead with 9 minutes left. The teams traded baskets with neither gaining more than a four-point advantage before Texas held a 66-64 lead with 33 seconds left.
After Chelsey Lee hit one free throw for the Scarlet Knights, Fontenette made one for Texas with 18.3 seconds left.
"Brittainey played really well down the stretch for us, and Kat was clutch at the very end. I'm just really happy for this team tonight," Goestenkors added.
Balanced offense allows TCU to upset No. 18 Kansas
FREEPORT, Bahamas — Emily Carter scored 16 points, including two free throws with 13.8 seconds left after Kansas was called for a technical foul, lifting TCU to a 74-69 victory over No. 18 Kansas on Saturday at the Junkanoo Jam.
Krysten Boogaard had given the Jayhawks (3-2) a 69-68 lead when they tried to call timeout. They didn't have any left, and Carter converted both of the technical foul shots. TCU then hit two more down the stretch to seal the victory.
"I have never had that happen before. I have never had a staff member or a player call time out in that situation," Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "In our last huddle, the first and last thing I said was, 'Don't call time out, we are out.' But in the heat of a tight game, sometimes those things happen."
The Jayhawks led 64-55 with just under seven minutes to play on a free throw by Boogaard.
"I am sick about how we played down the stretch," Henrickson said. "We took bad shots, made bad decisions in our offense and didn't get back in transition. Give TCU credit. They kept playing and kept their composure."
Starr Crawford had 11 points for the Horned Frogs (4-2), who rebounded from a loss to Minnesota earlier in the tournament. TCU shot only 30.3 percent from the field in that game, but went 26 of 57 from the floor (45.6 percent) against the Jayhawks.
Kansas led 33-29 at halftime, thanks in part to good ball movement. The Big 12 team cranked out 20 assists for the game.
Boogaard scored 21 points to lead Kansas, while sophomore forward Aishah Sutherland added 16. Danielle McCray finished with 16 points, but was just 6 of 15 from the field.
The Jayhawks lost to Xavier 76-71 in their opening game in the Bahamas.
State Men
Tech stays unbeaten with win over Samford
LUBBOCK — Texas Tech followed the same formula it has all season, getting balanced scoring to defeat Samford 74-53 on Saturday and remain unbeaten.
The Red Raiders (7-0) got 16 points from John Roberson, 15 from David Tairu, 14 from Nick Okorie and 11 from Mike Singletary to run their win streak to seven games. Roberson also had nine assists and three steals, while Singletary pulled down eight rebounds.
Six Texas Tech players average between 8 and 13.8 points per game for the season.
In contrast, Samford (1-5) got 26 points from Josh Davis on Saturday. But he was the only Bulldogs player in double figures.
Samford led 7-0 in the early stages before Texas Tech went on an 11-0 run. The lead changed hands three times in the first half, with the Red Raiders holding a 36-28 advantage when the period ended.
The Bulldogs never got closer than six points in the second half as the Red Raiders steadily pulled away.
Texas Tech shot 54.7 percent from the field (29 for 53) to just 36.7 percent (18 for 49) for Samford.
The Red Raiders' seven-game win streak is their best start since joining the Big 12 Conference in the 1996-1997 season. The 1995-1996 squad opened with seven wins in its final season in the Southwest Conference.
Boise State holds off North Texas 79-73
BOISE, Idaho — Robert Arnold came off the bench to score a season-high 17 points and spark Boise State to a 79-73 victory over North Texas Saturday night.
Arnold, a transfer from Antelope Community College, scored seven points in a 17-4 Boise State run midway through the second half, enabling the Broncos (4-2) to take control of a tight contest where neither team led by more than eight points.
Boise State center Kurt Cunningham also recorded a season-high 17 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Ike Okoye pulled down eight rebounds and blocked three shots.
Josh White scored 23 points to lead North Texas (3-2), and Eric Tramiel chipped in 14.
Playing in its third road game of the season, North Texas maintained its poise after falling behind early. Trailing 26-20, the Mean Green went on an 11-1 run behind Ben Knox's four points in the paint and Jacob Holmen's long-range shooting.
Boise State battled back and retook the lead at the halftime buzzer on a 3-pointer by Paul Noonan.
In the second half, North Texas slowly built a 58-53 lead before Arnold took over.
Anthony Thomas, mired in a two-game scoreless slump, hit a 3-pointer with 6:20 remaining to give Boise State its first lead since early in the second half. Then Arnold helped Boise State pull away, hitting a 3-pointer and adding a layup in consecutive possessions to key a 17-4 run.
North Texas edged within 76-73 with 27 seconds remaining on a 3-pointer by Holmen. But Arnold's emphatic dunk with 15 seconds left sealed the victory for Boise State.
It was the first meeting between the schools in 10 seasons. Boise State leads the series 8-1.
Houston beats Alaska Anchorage 73-57
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Aubrey Coleman scored 25 points Saturday night as Houston beat Alaska Anchorage 73-57 for third place in the Great Alaska Shootout.
Coleman was 11 of 16 shooting and made both of his 3-point attempts.
Desmond Wade added 15 and Adam Brown finished with 14 for the Cougars (3-2), who led 37-25 at the break.
Malcolm Campbell had a game-high 26 points, including 10 of 13 free throws, for the Seawolves (3-2).
Brandon Walker chipped in 21 for Alaska Anchorage.
Louisiana Tech beats TCU 68-63
FORT WORTH — Kyle Gibson's 13-point performance helped lead Louisiana Tech to a 68-63 victory over TCU Saturday night.
Gibson was only 3 of 13 from the field but 13 of 15 from the free thrown line. Magnum Rolle had a double-double, 14 points and 12 rebounds, five of which were offensive. Rolle also had five blocked shots. Louisiana Tech (5-1) only committed 6 turnovers on the night.
Zvonko Buljan led the Horned Frogs (4-3) with 15 points and six rebounds. Edvinas Ruzgas added 14 points and Ronnie Moss had 13. Moss led the game with eight assists and a game high five turnovers.
Despite shooting just 7.7 percent from behind the arc (1 for 13) Louisiana Tech was able to hold onto there 30-27 halftime lead.
Gibson leads UTSA past Texas Southern 79-57
SAN ANTONIO — Devin Gibson had 16 points, five rebounds, four steals and a block to lead four UTSA players in double figures as the Roadrunners defeated Texas Southern 79-57 Saturday night.
Melvin Johnson III came off the bench to contribute 13 points in 14 minutes for UTSA (5-1). Omar Johnson added 11 points and six assists, and Morris Smith IV had 10 points.
Travele Jones had 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead Texas Southern with a double-double. Junior Treasure added 16 points, and Onyekautukw Abiakam had eight points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers (3-4).
UTSA led 39-31 at the break before the Roadrunners exploded in the second half, improving their 36 percent first-half shooting to 50 percent in the second. They held Texas Southern to just 25 percent shooting in the closing period.
Stephen F. Austin overtakes Huston-Tillotson 82-54
NACOGDOCHES — Eddie Williams scored 15 points and had seven assists to lead Stephen F. Austin to a commanding 82-54 win over Huston-Tillotson on Saturday night.
Williams, who made six of seven from the floor, was one of four players to score double digits for the Lumberjacks (2-2). Orren Tims scored 14, Will Reinke 11 and Jordan Glynn 10.
The team chalked up 52 points from the paint and dominated on the boards, pulling down 46 rebounds to the Rams' 22.
Huston-Tillotson (0-3) got behind early and never led, trailing 39-28 at halftime.
James Black scored 13 for the Rams, while Rex Kyles had 12 and Darrell Glover 10.
Big 12 Women
Diggins leads No. 5 Irish past No. 20 Sooners
ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands — Notre Dame might as well play ranked teams all the time.
Freshman Skylar Diggins scored 16 points and the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish beat its third ranked opponent in six games, knocking off No. 20 Oklahoma 81-71 on Saturday to win the Island Division of the Paradise Jame.
Notre Dame (6-0) beat then-No. 21 Michigan State last week, then eased past No. 23 San Diego State on Thursday in the Paradise Jam.
Oklahoma (4-2) led 51-48 with 12:53 left when the Fighting Irish locked down on defense, triggering a 20-0 run. The Sooners, with leading scorer Danielle Robinson on the bench with four fouls, were 0-of-8 shooting and committed eight turnovers during the run.
Notre Dame led 68-51 with 5:27 left, but Robinson scored 10 points during a 12-5 spurt that made it 73-63. Oklahoma got no closer the rest of the way.
"This is a confidence boost, and the good thing about it is, I thought we played really well for three days," Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. "We had some slips, but the third game in three days, I thought we really came out and played hard."
McGraw said switching from a zone helped trigger the 20-0 run.
"That was the point where we decided to go man-to-man," McGraw said. "We felt like they were strong inside against the zone. We had a little trouble in the high post area, so we switched to man-to-man and tried to put a little pressure on the ball. I thought we helped each other more. We got a hand in on the dribbles. We did a really nice job."
Brittany Mallory scored 15 for Notre Dame. Ashley Barlow had 12 and Lindsay Schrader 11.
Robinson finished with 26 points to lead the Sooners. Amanda Thompson contributed 12 points, while Carlee Roethlisberger and Abi Olajuwon scored 11 points each.
Oklahoma was hampered by the absence of Whitney Hand, who averages 13.4 points. Hand hurt her right knee during Friday's victory over San Diego State.
With Hand sidelined and Robinson on the bench in foul trouble, the Sooners were in trouble.
"Obviously, our experienced backcourt is Danielle Robinson and Whitney Hand," coach Sherri Coale said. "Whitney is not in the game all night with a knee injury, and then when Danielle comes out with foul trouble, there's no steady presence there.
"Notre Dame's strength is obviously in its guard play, and in execution against a zone, you have to have somebody who is poised, and we weren't. Our inexperience showed right there. That was the beginning of the end. A lot of factors that you don't want to line up, lined up."
Coale was proud of Robinson's effort, even with the foul problems.
"Danielle was just fantastic," Coale said. "She was a warrior on both ends. She took the game over. There wasn't anything they could do from keeping her from getting to the basket.
"I like our team a lot," Coale added. "You come here and win two games against two quality opponents, and then play the No. 5 team in the country down to the wire, closer in my opinion than a 10-point game, without arguably your best player. ... Hey, we're going to be just fine."
DeHaan scores 23 to lift Mich. St. over Okla. St.
FREEPORT, Bahamas — Allyssa DeHaan scored 23 points to help No. 25 Michigan State overcome a 44-point effort by Oklahoma State's Andrea Riley and beat the Cowgirls 93-90 in double overtime at the Junkanoo Jam on Saturday night.
DeHaan also had nine rebounds and eight blocks while Kalisha Keane added 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Spartans (4-2).
Riley, who was 14-for-42 from the field, was one point short of her career high set as a sophomore against Oklahoma. She also had eight assists for the Cowgirls (4-2). Tegan Cunningham added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Spartans took their biggest lead of the night at 47-41 with the first basket of the second half and led for the majority of the second 20 minutes. Riley single-handedly answered with a 12-0 run to put Oklahoma State back in front at 63-60 with 6 minutes remaining.
The Spartans rallied to take the lead with 3 minutes left. Riley's two free throws with 12 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 73. Michigan State had a chance, but its desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer missed.
In the first overtime, the teams exchanged the lead eight times before the Spartans went up 3 with a minute left. Riley banked in a 30-footer at the buzzer to send the game to a second overtime.
Lindsey Keller gave Oklahoma State its only lead of the second overtime with a jumper 2 minutes in. She later tied the game at 88 before the Spartans scored the next five points to take control of the game.
Riley had the last 19 points of the first half for the Cowgirls, who trailed 45-41 at the break.
Big 12 Men
Richmond wins tournament, beating Missouri 59-52
SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Unwilling to rest on a stunning one-point victory over one power conference team the night before, Richmond handed an undefeated Missouri team its first loss of the season Saturday.
The Spiders (6-1) used an experienced starting lineup, featuring three juniors and two seniors, to pull off upsets over Mississippi State on Friday and Missouri on Saturday night, going 59-52 to win the South Padre Island Invitational.
"I think both of the teams we beat are going to be NCAA (tournament) teams, and to beat them back to back was great for us," said Richmond head coach Chris Mooney.
Senior guard David Gonzalvez scored 18 points to lead Richmond. He gave the Spiders the lead for good with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with a little more than four minutes remaining.
The Tigers (4-1) kept it close after that, even pulling within two points when Laurence Bowers hit a shot with eight seconds left to make it 54-52.
However, after being fouled, Kevin Anderson hit two free throws with four seconds left to give Richmond some breathing room. Anderson, who at 6 feet was the smallest player on the court, scored 14 points overall and had six rebounds.
Anderson, who also hit the winning shot against Mississippi State the night before, was named the tournament's most valuable player.
"Kevin Anderson, he's a guy who can make pressure fade away," Mooney said.
In the first half, Missouri pushed the ball at every opportunity, employing a full-court press to quicken the pace and force nine Richmond turnovers.
But Richmond handled Missouri's pressure better than Old Dominion did in its semifinal loss Friday and created shots with a half-court offense led by Anderson and Gonzalvez.
"We didn't have the defensive energy we hoped for," Missouri coach Mike Anderson said. "We have to keep building, that's all. We will learn a lot from this experience down here."
The Spiders patiently moved the ball and shot 50 percent from the floor in the first half, compared to Missouri's 33 percent. Richmond ended the game shooting 40 percent from the field to Missouri's 33 percent.
The game was physical at both ends with every shot contested and a lot of contact in the lane.
The teams combined for 41 personal fouls. Richmond's junior starting forward Justin Harper fouled out with nearly five minutes remaining, finishing the game with six points and three rebounds. Senior forward Ryan Butler added nine points for the Spiders.
Missouri never led by more than three in the first half and Gonzalvez gave the Spiders the lead late in the half with two 3-pointers. The Spiders led 33-26 at halftime.
The Spiders led by as many as nine points early in the second half, but Missouri's aggressive defense created some easy baskets that brought the Tigers back to within one with nine minutes to play.
Sophomore guard Kim English gave Missouri a key offensive lift off the bench, scoring 14 points, 10 of those in the second half. Senior starting guard J.T. Tiller had 11 points and five rebounds. Bowers added eight points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Tigers.
Missouri hit 18 percent of their 3-point tries, making only two of 11 attempts. Richmond made four of 12 from long range.
Sooners beat Nicholls St. 81-60 in Alaska tourney
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Coming off three straight losses, Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel was happy to get a win. Any win.
But he's also realistic.
"This doesn't fix all of our problems," Capel said Saturday, after the No. 25 Sooners (3-3) beat winless Nicholls State 81-60 to place fifth at the Great Alaska Shootout, a tournament in which Oklahoma was the only ranked team.
The Sooners lost three games this week, falling at Virginia Commonwealth on Nov. 21 and dropping games to San Diego and Houston in the tournament.
"We're not as good as everyone thought we were," Capel said. "Maybe not as good as our guys thought we were."
Things didn't look good for Oklahoma early, when scrappy Nicholls State (0-8) twice built comfortable leads in the first half, including a 39-32 advantage with 1:22 left. But Cade Davis hit a 3-pointer and made two free throws to bring the Sooners within 39-37 at the break.
Nicholls State went ahead 48-41 with 16:57 left before Oklahoma went on an 10-0 run and took the lead on a dunk by Tiny Gallon with 14:51 left in the game. After Nicholls State regained the lead at 51-50 on a 3-pointer by Chris Iles, Davis hit a 3-pointer at the 12:59 minute mark and the Sooners never trailed again.
"Oklahoma jacked up the intensity, and we got a bit rattled," said Anatoly Bose, who finished with 12 for the Colonels.
Gallon, a 6-foot-9, 290-pound freshman, scored all of his 15 points in the second half. He also had 12 rebounds, and when Gallon wasn't pounding the ball inside, Davis was hitting from the outside. Davis scored 11 of his game-high 18 points in the second half, finishing 4 of 9 on 3-point attempts.
"The ball looks like it's going in every time it leaves his hands," said Nicholls State coach J.P. Piper.
Capel said shooting wasn't the biggest contribution from Davis on Saturday.
"Cade is a guy that shoots the basketball, but his biggest impact was his energy," Capel said. "He stepped up as far as leadership was concerned."
Three other Sooners were in double figures: Tony Crocker and Steven Pledger with 14 apiece, and Tommy Mason-Griffin with 10. Dominic Friend and Fred Hunter both had 14 to pace the Colonels.
-- Mark Thiessen
Oklahoma State routs Utah 77-55 in Vegas finale
LAS VEGAS — Oklahoma State has been playing under the radar this season.
That may not be the case much longer after the Cowboys stayed unbeaten and rolled to the Las Vegas Invitational championship on Saturday night, defeating Utah 77-55.
James Anderson, the tournament most valuable player, scored a game-high 24 points for the Cowboys (6-0). He was 13 of 14 from the free-throw line, and added five assists and three steals.
"If we're ranked (in the Top 25) this week, it will be big for us," Anderson said. "One of our goals is to be ranked and stay ranked."
Oklahoma State, which has won by an average margin of 22 points this season, also beat Bradley, 68-57, during the Vegas Invitational.
"It's a great feeling," Anderson said of the tournament championship. "I want to experience more of it."
Obi Muonelo added 17 points on 5-of-5 shooting for Oklahoma State, and Marshall Moses added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Jay Watkins had 14 points and nine rebounds for Utah (3-3), which upset No. 20 Illinois on Friday. Chris Hines had 10 points for the Utes, who were held to 33 percent shooting.
After Utah jumped to a 7-2 advantage, the Cowboys went on a 17-0 run and never trailed again. Oklahoma State led 44-26 at intermission.
The Utes shot 7 of 22 in the first half, after shooting 7 of 29 the night before against Illinois.
"Defense was the key to the game," Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford said. "It was the best 40 minutes we played all year. In (Anderson), we have one of the best young players in the country. He really did a great job."
The Cowboys expanded their lead in the second half, building it to as many as 24 on three occasions.
"We used a lot of energy last night," Utah coach Jim Boylen said. "Anytime you're down, the energy you have to use to get back in the game, it just wears you out. I was disappointed in our shooting and our ability to score."
This is the third time this decade the Cowboys have reached the Vegas Invitational finals. In 2001 they defeated TCU, and in 2005 lost to Boston College. Both those tournaments were held at a local high school gym, which seats 2,000. The tournament is now at the 8,000-seat Orleans Arena.
This was the first time Oklahoma State and Utah have met in 28 years.
Kansas State wins 70-57 over IUPUI
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Even though he's been dealing with an undisclosed injury, Jacob Pullen refused to stop playing.
"Injuries happen every day," Pullen said. "As a team, I know that injuries can affect the season, and I never want to sit out. Unless I can't walk or I can't shoot, I'm going to be on the court every day for practice."
Pullen's determination paid off. He led all scorers with 25 points and dished out seven assists as Kansas State defeated IUPUI 70-57 on Saturday.
"That's Jacob Pullen being Jacob Pullen," said teammate Dominique Sutton. "He gets to the basket and makes things happen on the offensive end."
Pullen was one of four players to reach double figures for the Wildcats (5-1). Sutton scored 14, Denis Clemente scored 12 and Curtis Kelly added 11 points to go along with 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.
"It had its bright spots, it also had its low spots," Pullen said of the Wildcats' performance. "We couldn't put (IUPUI) away at the end. As a good team, you've really got to be able to do that. They're a really good team."
Kansas State coach Frank Martin echoed Pullen's praise for the opponent, but he wasn't as forgiving of Kansas State's effort as he said there are several unanswered questions looming for the Wildcats as the Big 12 Conference slate approaches.
"We're just not a good team," Martin said. "I get paid to figure these things out and we will. I guess if there is a positive, it's that we beat a pretty good basketball team."
Alex Young led the Jaguars (5-2) with 19 points while John Ashworth and Leroy Nobles added 14 and 13 points, respectively. After the game, IUPUI coach Ron Hunter said he was pleased with the effort of Ashworth, who normally plays in a reserve role.
"Ashworth played really well," Hunter said. "He is our backup point guard, but he's getting to play because our starter is injured right now. I was really impressed with the way he kept pushing through the pressure and made some big shots."
The teams engaged in a seesaw battle early in the contest as the Wildcats sprinted out to a 9-0 lead, but a two-point bucket by Billy Pettiford got the Jaguars on the scoreboard with 17:27 left. The IUPUI defense stiffened as the Jaguars held Kansas State without a field goal for nearly five minutes and used an 11-2 run to tie the score at 11-11. But that's as much damage as IUPUI could do.
Kansas State quickly regained the momentum as a 3-pointer by Clemente sparked an 11-0 run midway through the period. The Wildcats took a 40-29 lead into intermission.
IUPUI cut the deficit to seven early in the second half, but five straight points by Pullen ignited a 15-1 Wildcat run that slammed the door on the Jaguars' comeback attempt. IUPUI never regained control as Kansas State led by double-digits for the remainder of the contest.
The Wildcats' defense also solidified down the stretch as they forced a total of 23 turnovers in the contest and scored 28 points off the Jaguars' mishaps.
"Their defense put a lot of pressure on us and they just forced a lot of turnovers," Ashworth said. "We didn't do a good job of taking care of the ball and we know that's partially because of us, but a lot of it was because of how hard they played on defense."
Strong 3-point shooting by IUPUI kept the game from getting out of hand down the stretch as the Jaguars finished 9-of-18 from behind the arc, but the Wildcats' post presence proved to be too strong for the Jaguar defense as Kansas State outscored IUPUI 34-16 in the paint.
Northwestern tops Iowa State 67-65 in title game
CHICAGO— John Shurna has more than filled the void of leading scorer Kevin Coble.
Shurna scored 23 points and Michael Thompson added 16 as Northwestern defeated Iowa State 67-65 Saturday night in the championship game of the Chicago Invitational Tournament.
The Wildcats (5-1) haven't missed a beat this season — losing only to Butler — despite missing two key players. Coble is out for the season with a foot injury, and forward Jeff Ryan was also lost for the season after tearing his ACL in the first game of the season against Northern Illinois.
"Last year (Shurna) was good every other game or every third game," said Northwestern coach Bill Carmody. "Since Kevin isn't here and Jeff with leadership and stuff, he and Mike (Capocci) and Jeremy (Nash)... they have to do more. They can't be the auxiliary kind of guy. You got to get some shots up. You got to take accountability for us winning and losing. I think he's doing that now."
Shurna outperformed preseason All-American candidates Craig Brackins of Iowa State and Luke Harangody of Notre Dame to win the invitational's MVP award.
Brackins and Lucca Staiger each had 18 points for Iowa State (6-1).
Northwestern went on an 11-3 run early in the second half to erase a 48-40 deficit. Shurna had back-to-back baskets in the span and Thompson made a 3-pointer to tie the score at 51 with 10:53 left.
The Wildcats built a 63-56 lead on Thompson's layup with 3:09 left. But the Cyclones scored five straight points on a basket by Brackins and a 3-pointer from Staiger to get within 63-61 with 1:34 remaining.
Nash made a pair of free throws to extend the Northwestern lead to 65-61 with 21.3 seconds left. Iowa State's last real chance came when Brackins made the first of two free throws to get within 65-62. He missed the second, but Iowa State retained possession after the ball bounced out after hitting Shurna's foot.
Jamie Vanderbeken missed a 3-pointer to tie it with 5 seconds left.
"I was open. I'm not sure what defender it was but he came out firing at me," Vanderbeken said. "I just rushed the shot. I should have slowed down. It was open I just missed it."
Iowa State also missed a long desperation shot as time expired.
"We took a step forward for the program," Thompson said. "A lot of people didn't expect us to win the tournament. We came out and performed well."
Shurna, who had 25 points in Friday's upset win over No. 23 Notre Dame, had 17 points in the first 12 minutes against Iowa State and was involved in the Wildcats' first 11 points scored. He had 17 points and two assists in the first half on 6-of-11 shooting.
"My teammates were finding me in positions to score early on and I got into the flow of things there," Shurna said. "They guarded me a little tighter and other guys were stepping up. Jeremy would be open in the corner for shots. Guys were finding open spaces and the next thing you know we were making a lot of baskets."
Northwestern scored on a number of back-door cuts in its Princeton-style offense.
"Northwestern is a very disciplined team, we fell a sleep on defense," Brackins said. "It was an offense we haven't seen and it was difficult to guard their stuff."
Staiger had 12 of his points in the first half, all coming on 3-pointers, as Iowa State led 39-34 at the break.
Marquis Gilstrap finished with 13 points and six rebounds for Iowa State, and Vanderbeken had 12.
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