NCAAB Game Preview - Oklahoma at Iowa State
Mon Feb 25, 2019 8:00 PM EST

KSU
49
Kansas
64
F
ND
61
FSU
68
F
SCSt
62
NCC
72
F
NJIT
77
Lipsco
81
F
How
75
Morg
69
F
DelSt
70
Copp
60
F
Okla
61
IaSt
78
F
Savan
58
NCAT
63
F
ArkPB
44
PVAM
48
F
AlaAM
55
Alc
61
F
ASU
60
South
57
F
MsVl
80
TXSo
92
F
N CO
74
Mont
72
F
No. 19 Iowa State looks to end skid vs. Oklahoma
Sun Feb 24, 2019 7:53 PM

Two weeks ago, Iowa State had its sights set on challenging Kansas' dozen years of Big 12 regular-season supremacy.

But after losing three of their last four -- including two straight -- the No. 19 Cyclones are just looking to regain some positive momentum over the last four games of the regular season.

"We have to get back to where we were," junior forward Michael Jacobson told reporters after Saturday's 75-72 loss at TCU. "For whatever reason, we're in a funk -- or something changed -- I don't know what it is.

"We have a little bit of soul searching to do."

The Cyclones (19-8, 8-6 Big 12) don't have very much time for that, though, as they host Oklahoma on Monday night in Ames, Iowa.

"We have to buy into what the coaches are saying," sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton said. "The coaches are saying the right things. We just have to go out there and do it every night."

Iowa State will be playing another team that's gone through a funk this year.

Though the Sooners (17-10, 5-9) were never seriously in the Big 12 race, Oklahoma was in the top 20 in mid-January before losing seven of nine. The Sooners come into Monday's game having won two consecutive games, including Saturday's 69-67 home win over Texas.

Though Oklahoma is just 5-9 in Big 12 play, the Sooners are still in the NCAA Tournament hunt thanks to a 12-1 non-conference record.

"Just continue to work hard," junior forward Kristian Doolittle said of what the Sooners need to do to keep making a push. "We made it a key -- something we have to do -- in order to give ourselves a chance to get in the tournament.

"After losing the game against Baylor (Feb. 11), we were really backs against the wall. Being able to go down to TCU and win that game and win this one (against Texas), it's just something to build off as we go into Iowa State."

The first time the teams met, on Feb. 4 in Norman, Marial Shayok's late 3-pointer helped lift the Cyclones to a 75-74 win.

"I feel like our confidence never really left," Doolittle said. "It's just a matter of being able to fight through adversity. But now we have two wins under our belts. We have another big game coming up Monday against Iowa State, one that we felt like we let get away here."

Shayok, the Cyclones' leading scorer (18.5 points per game) and the No. 2 scorer in the Big 12, is coming off his least productive offensive performance of the season after struggling with foul trouble against TCU and finishing with just four points.

Despite losing back-to-back home games, Iowa State has been very good at home overall this season, going 11-3 in Ames.

Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said he's not ready to push the panic button yet.

"We just need to stay the course," Prohm said. "We got to get some things fixed. I talked to the guys about that.

"We just have to get a couple things fixed as we go so we can finish well in March."

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Oklahoma  
Iowa State  

Hot Players (Last 10 team games)

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