KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Iowa State freshman Addy Brown dribbled around the top of the key as the seconds ticked down near the end of the first half Monday against Oklahoma. Brown found an open spot and unleashed a long 3-point shot.
Brown kept her hand skyward long after the ball swished through the net, then pushed it up a little higher to pump up the crowd and ignite the frenzied fan base of Iowa State as the Cyclones rolled into halftime with a 14-point lead.
The basket was as close to a knockout punch as there could have been. No. 4 seed Iowa State never looked back during a 85-68 victory over the top-seeded Sooners in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals. The victory moved the defending champion Cyclones into Tuesday’s championship game for the second straight season.
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Iowa State, which has won six straight games, had to fight its way through a close call against Baylor in the semifinals on Saturday. Monday’s game was supposed to be just as difficult with the Cyclones taking on the Big 12’s regular-season champion − a team that rolled to a commanding win in Ames on Feb. 10.
But Iowa State had no issues with the 21st-ranked Sooners this time around.
The Cyclones had trouble getting stops and scoring during their first matchup, but they did whatever they wanted in both areas Monday. They even managed to slow down an Oklahoma team that has one of the top scoring offenses in the nation. The Sooners entered Monday’s matchup averaging 77.1 points per game, but couldn’t get going in the league semifinals.
Oklahoma shot 29% (10-for-34) from the floor in the first half, including 2-of-14 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, the Sooners could not slow down Iowa State. The Cyclones set the tone early by going on a 15-0 run to take a commanding 17-5 lead. Audi Crooks, who finished with 25 points, hit a rare 3-pointer during the run that included five straight makes for Iowa State.
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Iowa State closed out the second quarter on a 7-0 run that was capped off by Brown’s 3-pointer to give Iowa State a 38-24 lead at halftime. Iowa State rattled off another big run in the third quarter, going on a 9-0 run to take a 49-26 lead. Even a full-court press by Oklahoma, a move that caused the Cyclones all sorts of problems in their win over Baylor, couldn’t stop Bill Fennelly’s team the rest of the second half.
Brown finished with 16. Emily Ryan had 12 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Cyclones.
What’s next? The Cyclones are likely hoping for K-State
Iowa State will face the winner of Monday’s Texas-Kansas State semifinal at 8 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN2). The Cyclones might be quietly pulling for a Wildcats upset. Texas posed problems for Iowa State in an 81-60 rout on Feb. 17 in Austin. Kansas State, meanwhile, lost twice to Iowa State during the regular season. One of those Cyclone wins was a double-overtime thriller in Ames. The other was a road victory at Kansas State two weeks ago.
Tommy Birch, the Register’s sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He’s the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468.
NORMAN, Okla. — Derrion Reed scored 22 points, Xzayvier Brown finished with 18, and Oklahoma set the program’s single-game record for field-goal percentage on Monday night as the Sooners beat Stetson 107-54 on Monday night.
Oklahoma shot 67.8% (40 of 59) from the field and had its highest-scoring game since a 107-86 win over Arkansan-Pine Bluff on Nov. 30, 2023. The previous record was 66.1% (39 of 59) against Baylor on Feb. 26, 2005.
The Sooners made 12 of 24 from 3-point range, outrebounded Stetson 39-24, and outscored the Hatters 54-18 in the paint.
Mohamed Wague had 15 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma and Tae Davis added 12 points and six assists. Kuol Atak and Nijel Pack each scored 11 points.
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Ethan Copeland, the only Stetson (4-9) player who scored in double figures, had 14 points.
Oklahoma (9-3) used runs of 15-3 and 10-2, the latter of which culminated with a Jadon Jones three-point play that gave the Sooners a 26-11 lead a little more than eight minutes into the game.
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Another offensive lineman from Oklahoma’s heralded 2024 group of freshman has decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Third-year sophomore tackle Isaiah Autry-Dent announced Monday on social media that he’ll be entering the portal when it opens on Jan. 2.
“I’m truly grateful for the incredible, life-changing experience I’ve had at the University of Oklahoma,” he wrote. “The dedication of the staff, the camaraderie with my teammates, and the unwavering support from the fans have made this journey unforgettable. I’ve learned lessons on and off the field that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and I’m thankful for every moment, every challenge and every triumph along the way.”
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Dent added that he’s “given it a great deal of thought and prayed for guidance” but intends to leave OU with 3-4 years of eligibility remaining and is “excited about exploring new opportunities to continue growing as a player and as a person.”
After much prayer and family talks, I’ll enter the transfer portal on January 2 with three years of eligibility left. Thank you #SoonerNationpic.twitter.com/AM15EMHlHV
Dent was one of five offensive linemen signed in the 2024 class, and he’s the third one to leave, joining Eugene Brooks and Josh Aisosa. After just two seasons, only Eddy Pierre-Louis and Daniel Akinkunmi remain.
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Dent was listed at 304 pounds as a true freshman but in July checked in at 317 pounds — the biggest overall weight gain of any offensive player, which was a reflection of his hard work and dedication as the OU offensive line made an offseason mandate to get bigger and stronger.
Last spring, senior center Troy Everett was asked to assess Dent’s progress following his freshman season.
“Isaiah works hard,” Everett said. “Isaiah’s going to be great. Isaiah, right now, he’s just got to get comfortable when he’s out there, but that goes for every young guy.”
Read More Transfer Portal News
OU Transfer Portal Tracker Oklahoma LB to Enter Portal What Positions Must Oklahoma Address in the Portal?
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Dent played in just one game — against Maine — and logged just 26 snaps on offense and nine snaps on special teams during the 2024 season, then didn’t get on the field at all in 2025.
The former 3-star prospect from Fulton, MS, is a second cousin to former OU running back Marcus Dupree. His mother, Pashen Dent-Autry, was a two-time national champion basketball player for Tennessee legend Pat Summitt.
Autry was a consensus 3-star prospect coming out as a high school All-American at Itawamba Agricultural High School, where he was a 6-foot-7, 300-pound standout.
Autry picked the Sooners over Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and Ole Miss, among others, and could have plenty of options.
The postseason is unique in that way, no matter the sport. It can have a cleansing effect, providing a clean slate.
Maybe that’s what is happening with Alabama. I stand by my column the weekend the College Football Playoff pairings were announced, that Notre Dame deserved a spot over the Crimson Tide, that how a team finishes should matter. Alabama hadn’t been very good to close the regular season. It nearly lost to mediocre SEC opponents South Carolina, LSU and Auburn, fell to Oklahoma and was crushed by Georgia in the SEC championship game.
