Iowa State basketball tops No. 1 Houston, wins Big 12 Tournament title

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Iowa State had already emerged from the wilderness.  

Back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths and a Sweet 16 repaired much of the damage inflicted by the worst season in program history that proceeded it. Cyclone basketball’s reputation was restored. 

Iowa State hadn’t, though, quite returned to the former glory of the preceding decade, when the Cyclones were a national contender, winning titles and possessing real Final Four aspirations. 

The Cyclones were a good story under head coach T.J. Otzelberger, but not much more across the national landscape. 

That changed Saturday night when Iowa State emphatically and triumphantly announced itself as undoubtedly one of the country’s best teams. 

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The No. 8 Cyclones completely dismantled Houston, the country’s top-ranked team and regular-season conference champion, in a 69-41 victory to claim the Big 12 Tournament championship. 

The Iowa State Cyclones hold their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after the Big 12 Tournament title game victory over the Houston Cougars at T-Mobile Center on Saturday.

“The ceiling is the best team in the country,” point guard Tamin Lipsey said of the Cyclones. “Obviously, we just took down Houston, who was the previous No. 1 in the country. Obviously, our goal is a national championship. 

“We know that there’s a lot more to go in March.”

First appeared on www.desmoinesregister.com

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