KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Iowa State men’s basketball team is back on top of the Big 12 Championship podium once again!

Iowa State (27-7) blitzed No. 1 Houston (30-4) on its way to a 69-41 victory Saturday evening at T-Mobile Center as it won the Big 12 Championship for the fifth time in the last 10 tournaments and the sixth time overall.

In a battle of the Big 12’s two best defensive teams it was Iowa State that reigned supreme, holding the Cougars to just 26.8 percent shooting from the field (15-56) to hand the Cougars their worst loss of the Kelvin Sampson era, as well as the largest margin of victory ever in a Big 12 Championship game.

The win also marked Iowa State’s fourth-ever win against a No. 1 team. The 28-point win was also the third-largest margin of victory ever over a No. 1 team.

How It Happened
The Cyclones held a 30-23 lead at the half behind a stifling defensive effort that limited the nation’s top-ranked team to just 28.1 percent field goal shooting.

Houston took an 11-9 lead before the Cyclones heated up from long distance. Three-pointers by Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic propelled the Cyclones on an 8-0 run to put them up 17-11 and force a Houston timeout with 9:11 left in the opening period. The teams swapped baskets and the Cougars trimmed the ISU lead to 24-21, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Momcilovic and Tamin Lipsey extended the lead back to 30-21. Houston got a late basket to make it a seven-point deficit at the half. Keshon Gilbert, who scored ISU’s first four points of the game, finished the half with nine points.

The Cyclones went on a 10-0 run to open the second half and never looked back, extending its lead to as many as 32 points. Houston started the second half just 1-for-14 as ISU led 54-28 with 7:52 remaining in the game.

The rest was just semantics as the Cyclones rolled to T.J. Otzelberger’s first championship as head coach at Iowa State.

Top Performers
The freshman Momcilovic led the Cyclones with 18 points, connecting on four 3-pointers.

Gilbert added 16 points, while Hason Ward chipped in 13 points off the bench.

All-Tournament Team
Gilbert, Lipsey, Momcilovic earned spots on the Big 12 Championship All-Tournament team. Gilbert was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

Up Next
The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament selection show will be held Sunday at 5 p.m. (CT) on CBS.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa baseball team run ruled Western Illinois in both halves of a doubleheader on Saturday at Duane Banks Field. The Hawkeyes won the first game, 17-7, in eight innings and the second game, 19-9.

“Hopefully this gives us some confidence,” said head coach Rick Heller. “We had three games where we kept our free bases under 10. We made improvements from where we had been. That needs to become the norm, and less if possible. It needs to be an accountability thing in the clubhouse, that is who we are and that is how we go about our business.”

The Hawkeyes trailed 6-5 through 5 ½ innings but put up 13 runs to win game one.  Iowa then trailed 9-4 through five innings in game two before coming back with an eight run sixth inning.

Cade Obermueller got the start in game one for the Hawkeyes. He threw 4 1/3 innings and allowed five runs (two earned) while striking out five. Jack Young threw 2/3 of an inning and Aaron Savary threw three innings allowing one hit and one run to earn the win.

Six different Hawkeyes tallied a multi-hit performance in the first game. Raider Tello was 4-for-5 with an RBI, Andy Nelson 3-for-6, Davis Cop 3-for-5 with six RBIs, Reese Moore 3-for-4 and Sam Petersen and Kyle Huckstorf each tallied two.

Marcus Morgan threw 2 2/3 innings starting game two for Iowa. He allowed five runs on seven hits. Jack Whitlock threw 1 2/3 innings and allowed four runs while striking out three. Zach Voelker earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of work. Elliot Cadieux-Lanoue closed out the game with two innings of hitless ball.

Raider Tello was 5-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored. Sam Petersen was 3-for-5 and Davis Cop was 2-for-5 with three RBIs. Reese Moore had two RBIs on two hits. Michael Seegers added four RBIs for Iowa.

“We had an opportunity to see what we were made of today,” said Heller. “Stringing hit after hit. So many guys had great games offensively. Raider Tello had an incredible day, nine hits on the day and five in the second game. It was good to see Cadiuex-Lanoue get in and bounce back. It was a really good weekend. Overall, I  pleased that we showed some toughness and fought back and found a way to get a sweep, because sweeps aren’t easy.”

STOCKTON, Calif. – The University of Iowa softball team swept a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon against Pacific, 10-1 (5 innings), and Sacramento State, 6-1, at Bill Simoni Field.

Freshman Jaylee Ojo (2-1) got the start against Pacific and was magnificent for the second straight day. The Sacramento, Calif. native went 4.0 innings allowing no runs on one hit and struck out seven Tiger hitters. Sophomore Jalen Adams (6-5) picked up the win in game two throwing her ninth complete game of the season. She allowed just one run on seven hits and struck out two.

Freshman Soo-Jin Berry had herself a day at the plate going 4-for-6 with three RBIs and five runs scored. Senior Sammy Diaz finished the day with four RBIs in the doubleheader.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Game 1

Iowa came out strong as they got on the board in the top of the first. With two outs in the inning senior Grace Banes drove an RBI single up the middle to score Berry to give the Hawkeyes the, 1-0, lead. Iowa was able to keep it going on the second as freshman Jena Young and sophomore Echo Mattiello pulled off the double steal to extend the lead to two. Berry tacked on another run on an RBI single to make it 3-0.

Ojo was dominant as she did not allow a hit and struck out six Tiger hitters the first time through the lineup. The Hawkeyes had a big fourth inning started by young who sent a ball over the fence for her second home run in as many days to give Iowa a, 4-0, lead. The Hawkeyes added three more on RBI doubles from Banes and sophomore Avery Jackson to extend the lead, 7-0, through four innings.

The Hawkeye bats stayed hot as Diaz brought home junior Rylie Moss in the fifth. Senior Brylee Klosterman gave Iowa a 10-run lead with a two-RBI single. Freshman Andrea Jaskowiak took over in the circle in the bottom of the fifth. The Tigers were able to push one run across, but Jaskowiak limited the damage as she closed out the run-rule victory.

Iowa finished the game with 10 runs on 10 hits and had one error.

Game 2

Diaz reached on an error to start the second inning. She moved into scoring position after a steal and a sacrifice bunt. Diaz came around to score on a productive ground out from sophomore Tory Bennett to give Iowa the lead, 1-0.

Sac State got on the board in the top of the third on an RBI double to even the score at one. Adams was able to limit the damage as she stranded two runners to end the inning. Iowa threatened in the home half of the third, getting two runners into scoring position but they were unable to cash in.

Mattiello and Moss both reached on walks in the bottom of the fifth and the Hawkeyes retook the lead on a Hornets throwing error, 3-1. Diaz added an insurance run on an RBI double to make it, 4-1, Iowa. Adams retied the Hornets in order in the top of the sixth.

Diaz stayed hot with her second two-RBI double of the day in the home half of the sixth to make it 6-1. The Hornets scattered a couple of hits in the seventh but Adams locked in and secured the win for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa finished the game with six runs on six hits and had one error.

HEAR FROM HEARD COACH RENEE GILLISPIE

“It is great for us to close out this long trip with four solid wins. We had a lot of different people step up over the past four games and this is what we needed to see heading into conference next weekend. Once again Jaylee and Jalen gave us all they had in the circle and put us in a great position to win. Our offense came through today and capitalized when we had runners on. I am excited to see how we carry this momentum into our home opener on Friday.”

UP NEXT

Iowa (12-10) returns to action on Friday as they open Big Ten play against Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes host the Badgers in their home opener at Bob Pearl Field for a three-game series. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 5 pm CT and will be streamed on B1G+ ($).

MOLINE, Ill. – The Drake University women’s basketball team picked up an intense victory in the MVC Tournament semifinals this afternoon. The Bulldogs outlasted rival UNI in a back-and-forth clash as Drake won its 28th game of the year, matching a single-season program record.

Drake got on the board on the game’s very first possession as Taylor McAulay splashed in a corner three. UNI’s Kayba Laube then answered for the Panthers with a three of her own. McAulay banked in another before Grace Boffelli spurred a 4-0 Panther run to give UNI its first lead of the game.

McAulay continued her hot start with another three and a floater in the paint. She scored the first 10 points of the game for the Bulldogs.

Shannon Fornshell was the first Drake player not named McAulay to score, hitting two straight three-pointers. McAulay kept Drake’s early run going with an offensive rebound and an acrobatic finish. The senior’s fifth field goal in the first five minutes prompted a UNI timeout. Fornshell and McAulay combined to score the Bulldogs’ first 18 points.

Laube and the Panthers kept within striking distance as the first quarter wound to a close. A Courtney Becker runner gave Drake a 26-17 lead after one.

Maya McDermott and Laube went back-to-back from distance to start the second quarter as UNI scratched back within five. McDermott added five straight to knot the score at 28 apiece. Drake inched back in front as the second quarter progressed, but their lead did not exceed six points before the half. Drake led 43-37 after the first 20 minutes of action.

Boffeli put down the first score of the second half with a mid-range jumper from the top of the key. The Panthers’ star forward was sidelined for much of the first half after picking up two early fouls.

Grace Berg got Drake’s second half started with a trey and two free throws as the Bulldogs worked their lead back into double figures. UNI refused to go away, though, as the Bulldog lead shrunk back to five at the third quarter media timeout. The third period grind continued over the last few moments as the Bulldogs led 66-57 with 10 minutes to play.

McDermott trimmed the Panther deficit down again at the start of the fourth period with a pair of jumpers and an extra foul shot. After forcing a turnover and a miss by the Bulldogs, McDermott swished a three in transition to get back within two and force Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman to take a timeout.

After the pause, UNI extended their run to 9-0 with a Laube triple. The three-pointer gave the Panthers their first lead since the score was 9-8. Over that 9-0 stretch, Drake was held scoreless for over three minutes.

Dinnebier stopped the Bulldogs’ scoreless streak with a three-pointer after a scramble for a loose ball. McDermott answered on the other end with another trey of her own as the two teams continued to trade blows. Dinnebier came through again for the Bulldogs, giving Drake a 75-73 lead with her third three-pointer of the afternoon.

A pair of Boffeli free throws tied the score again at 75-all with just under 30 seconds to play. The Dogs pulled out two defensive stops including an athletic block from Ava Hawthorne, who played increased time down the stretch after McAulay fouled out, but could not get a Grace Berg heave to fall at the horn as regulation time expired and the game advanced to overtime.

The Bulldogs started the overtime period as quickly as they started the game. Berg and Becker keyed a 9-0 run to begin O.T. as Drake took an 84-75 lead. The Panthers did their best to chip away but did not have enough juice to match Drake in the extra period as the top-seeded Bulldogs held on for the 92-83 win.

McAulay led the Dogs in scoring for just the third time this season as she finished with 22 points, only trailing UNI’s McDermott (33 points) in the game.

Berg poured in 17 while Dinnebier and Miller added 15 to round out Drake’s offensive leaders. That trio also each recorded a double-double as Miller led all players on the boards with 17 rebounds, Berg snagged 11 rebounds of her own, and Dinnebier dished out 10 assists. Courtney Becker also snared double-digit rebounds with 12.

“Our team’s confidence wavered for a second,” Pohlman said after the game. “That moment was really pivotal…we just decided to grind it out for the last five minutes and, when we went into overtime, there was like a huge sigh of relief…we got ourselves a fresh start. There’s no other words than amazing.”

Drake will advance to tomorrow’s MVC Tournament Championship game at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs will face off against the winner of the other semifinal tilt between No. 2 seed Belmont and No. 3 seed Missouri State.

AMES, Iowa – After earning a pair of wins in Friday’s doubleheader against Houston (18-9, 2-4 Big 12) and securing the series win, Iowa State (11-15, 2-4 Big 12) dropped Saturday’s series finale to the Cougars in five innings, 10-2.

Houston exploded for a nine-run first inning which powered the victory, recording 9 hits and 10 RBI on the afternoon.

The Cyclones were limited to just three hits on the day as ISU left five runners on base throughout the contest.

Carli Spelhaug, Maddie Knowles and Alesia Ranches had hits for the Cyclones with both Ranches and Poole earning RBI. Milaysia Ochoa and Tiana Poole each drew a walk.

Tatum Johnson (0-1) started the game for the Cyclones and was quickly relieved by Jaiden Ralston who went for 3.1 innings of action. Karlie Charles also saw the circle, as she hurled 1.2 innings and gave up just one hit.

A pair of Cougars had multiple hits as both Lair Beautae and Shelby Smith had two on the afternoon. Beautae had a game-high four RBI, as she powered a grand slam over the center field wall in the first.

Paris Lehman (5-2) tossed a complete game and earned the win after receiving just her second loss of the season on Friday.

How it Happened

Houston went all the way through the order in the first frame, as UH tallied 13 at-bats in the top of the first. The Cougars plated nine runs thanks to four RBI singles, a bases-loaded HBP and a grand slam.

After falling behind by nine, Iowa State had its work cut out for it. The Cyclones dented the Houston lead by one in the bottom of the frame, bringing a runner home. Ochoa drew a leadoff walk and two at-bats later was driven home from first thanks to Ranches’s second triple of the weekend.

The Cougars tacked on one final run in the second, as Coleman belted a ball into the right field street to make it 10-1 in favor of Houston.

ISU was scoreless in both the second and third, but Spelhaug broke the dry spout by powering her sixth long ball of the season over the left field fence in the fourth.

Neither team was able to add anything in the fifth as the game ended in a run-rule, 2-10.