When Iowa State and Oklahoma met last month, both teams appeared in strong position to make the NCAA Tournament.
Both coaches, the Cyclones’ T.J. Otzelberger and the Sooners’ Porter Moser, captured plenty of momentum early in their first seasons at their respective schools.
Six weeks later, the teams likely will entertain a must-win mentality when they reconvene in Ames, Iowa.
“We know what’s waiting out there for us,” Iowa State leading scorer Izaiah Brockington said. “We also know that we have to concentrate with each game and each practice as they come.”
After winning their first 12 games, the Cyclones have dropped nine of their last 14 to fall onto the tournament bubble.
Iowa State (17-9, 4-9 Big 12) comes into the game with some momentum after a 54-51 win at TCU on Tuesday snapped a four-game losing streak.
Oklahoma (14-12, 4-9) is in an even more precarious position.
The Sooners have lost back-to-back games since upsetting then-No. 9 Texas Tech on Feb. 9. Oklahoma has dropped nine of its last 11 overall.
Both of the Sooners’ recent losses have been tight — a two-point setback at then-No. 8 Kansas last Saturday and a two-point overtime loss to No. 20 Texas on Tuesday.
Six of Oklahoma’s 12 losses have come by four or fewer points, with three of those coming in overtime.
Moser remains confident in his team, however.
“The guys are really, really locked in,” Moser said. “Gotta get over the hump and make some plays, some really winning plays down the stretch.”
Oklahoma posted a 79-66 win over Iowa State in the first meeting on Jan. 8. The Sooners outscored the Cyclones by 17 points in the second half.
Umoja Gibson scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half of that game.
Gibson has been up and down lately, scoring a combined 47 points in the Sooners’ two more recent home games, while combining for just two in the last two road games.
–Field Level Media