Iowa State cruises past Houston, wins Big 12 Tournament - ESPN

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — T.J. Otzelberger nearly let the Big 12 Tournament trophy slip through his hands before adjusting his grip and raising it above his head, that polo shirt so many people find so comically tight on Iowa State's coach stretching just a little bit more.

There was nothing funny about the way the Cyclones played Saturday night.

Led by Keshon Gilbert, the tourney's most outstanding player, and a balanced roster in which everyone has a role, the nation's seventh-ranked team efficiently dismantled No. 1 Houston in the championship game. Gilbert finished with 16 points as the Cyclones rolled to the 69-41 victory, giving them their sixth Big 12 trophy in their sixth title game appearance.

The margin was the largest over a No. 1 team since UCLA beat the Cougars by 32 in the 1968 Final Four.

«I give our guys all the credit,» Otzelberger said after cutting down the nets. «You hear it all the time: You want to be playing your best this time of year. I don't think there's any question that's what we're doing.»

Milan Momcilovic had 18 points, and Hason Ward scored 13 for the Cyclones (27-7), who have beaten five different programs to raise the trophy, including Oklahoma, which at the time was led by current Houston coach Kelvin Sampson.

Sampson probably felt even worse on Saturday night than he did in 2000. Iowa State used an 18-3 run to turn a 30-23 halftime lead into the kind of blowout Sampson has rarely experienced. And that in turn gave thousands of Cyclones fans who paint Kansas City red and yellow every March plenty of reason to stand on their feet and roar their approval.

«Very seldom do you play a road game in the championship of a tournament, but you know what? Hats off to Iowa State's fans,» Sampson said.