Back-to-back victories in Allen Fieldhouse. Who would have thunk it?
“This is just amazing,” Iowa State center Paul Shirley said. “It’s so hard to win here.”
| Iowa State | 46 | 33 | 79 |
| Kansas | 35 | 42 | 77 |
Attendance: 16,300
Not for Iowa State. The Cyclones repeated last season’s 64-62 stunner over the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse with a 79-77 triumph on Monday night.
“Looking back,” Shirley said, “I don’t think I would have ever expected that to happen.”
Looking back five years to his senior year at Jefferson West High in Meriden, a small town north of Topeka, Shirley definitely wouldn’t have expected to have such memorable homecomings during his junior and senior seasons.
“I’m just happy I was given an opportunity to play at Iowa State,” Shirley said, “because I didn’t have many opportunities. So, obviously, this is special to me.”
Shirley’s numbers weren’t all that special. He finished with seven points and six rebounds. Worst of all, he missed five of six free throws. But the 6-foot-10 senior played 34 minutes and did a decent defensive job against KU’s huge front line.
Shirley called Monday’s win “similar” to the feeling he had when the Cyclones won in Allen Fieldhouse last year, but, he added, “For me, it’s a little more special because I’m a senior and grew up so close to here.”
Guard Kantrail Horton, another senior, went the more-special route, too, because most people thought the Cyclones would struggle this season after Marcus Fizer, the 2000 Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, turned pro.
“A lot of people didn’t expect us to be much without Fizer,” Horton said, “but this feels great.”
Iowa State drilled 11 of 17 three-point attempts and Horton, a 6-foot-1 guard, was the ringleader, making all four of his three-point attempts, including about a 25-footer late in the second half to beat the shot clock.
“I was really focused tonight,” Horton said. “I was concentrating on my technique.”
Iowa State’s deadly three-point shooting was not a fluke. The Cyclones lead the league with 42.5 percent accuracy from beyond the arc. They shot 64.7 percent against the Jayhawks.
Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy, asked if winning in Allen Fieldhouse was better this year or last year, said: “I don’t know. I’m just happy for the players. That’s what it’s all about.”
Eustachy was fatalistic about the last :09.5 when Kansas had the ball with a chance to tie or to win. As it turned out, Luke Axtell shot a three-point air ball with about two ticks left and the Cyclones celebrated.
“If it goes in, they’re excited,” Eustachy said. “That’s the way the ball bounces.”
Still, Eustachy was delighted ISU was able to hold Kansas off down the stretch after building a 10-point lead with about 41/2 minutes remaining.
“We knew they’d make a run and we withstood it,” Eustachy said. “This is the best team we’ve played by far this year.”
Iowa State moved into sole possession of first place in the Big 12 standings with an 8-2 record, a half-game ahead of KU.
Three-point goals: 11-17 (Horton 4-4, Tinsley 3-6, Power 2-2, Sullivan 2-5). Assists: 10 (Tinsley 6, Horton 3, Sullivan). Turnovers: 9 (Tinsley 3, Shirley 2, Rancik 2, Sullivan, Power). Blocked shots: none. Steals: 7 (Tinsley 3, Shirley 2, Rancik, Pearson). |
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Three-point goals: 5-11 (Boschee 2-3, Gooden 1-1, Axtell 1-2, Hinrich 1-4, Gregory 0-1). Assists: 14 (Hirnich 6, Gregory 3, Chenowith 2, Gooden, Boschee, Axtell). Turnovers: 13 (Hinrich 5, Gooden 2, Gregory 2, Collison, Boschee, Axtell, Chenowith). Blocked shots: 7 (Collison 4, Gregory, Hinrich, Chenowith). Steals: 2 (Hinrich, Boschee). |
