The Lowdown

National rankings played no factor in this Big 12 matchup Tuesday night as the No. 16 Sooners fell to the No. 24 Cyclones 82-61 at Hilton Coliseum.

The Sooners (14-3, 4-1 Big 12) played a close first half, cutting their deficit to just four points with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the half.

It was all Iowa State (13-2, 4-1) in the second half, however, outscoring Oklahoma 48-33 and out-rebounding 47-27.

The X-Factor

A veteran and a rookie: Junior Hallie Christofferson and freshman Kidd Blaskowsky had a combined total of 41 points in their fourth conference victory.

Christofferson was the team’s leading scorer with 24 points and six rebounds. Blaskowsky had another season-high game of 17 points, while shooting 5-of-9 from behind the arc.

“Hilton Magic” played some factor as the fans became animated during a stretch of points in the second half.

Turning Point

At 6:31 left in the game, Blaskowsky hit a 3-pointer that brought the crowd to its feet. The Sooners tried to keep pace with the Cyclones’ relentless offense, but it would not be enough.

By the Numbers

6: Turnovers committed by Iowa State in the second half. An improvement from 11 in the first half. 

18: A game-low percentage of shooting the Cyclones held the Sooners to in the first half. 32 percent overall.

93: Percentage of free-throws (14-15) the Sooners shot for the entire game.

Quotables

“Iowa State was really ready to play and they were really fired up. They fought hard and I though we were flat. We battled back from the deficit with some shots and then just let it get away from us.” – Oklahoma head coach Sherri Coale on the outcome of the game

“We knew Oklahoma — in every game they had played so far — had come from behind and won a game in close points. And we knew that when we got ahead, as a team we would just push it, and once we started hitting shots, the crowd helped us get into the game.” – Sophomore guard Nikki Moody on the turning point in the game

“To know I’m welcomed in such a great school and a great community and our fan base is something I would not trade for the world; just knowing they have faith in me and I have faith in my teammates, it’s a great feeling to hear them not only cheer for me but for my whole team.” – Freshman Kidd Blaskowski on the “Hilton Magic”

“That has been as loud as it has been for one of our games this year. That’s what we talk about all the time to our players. We haven’t really given our fans that kind of moment, but I think we did tonight.” – ISU head coach Bill Fennelly on the Hilton Coliseum crowd