If Head Coach Tim Floyd’s game plan for the Texas game were to keep it at a slower pace, then his players followed that plan from the tip off. However, it was the slowing of the tempo by the Longhorns after they took the lead in the second half that put the Cyclones in a tight squeeze late, and eventually gave Texas a 57-56 win.

The Cyclones went more than three minutes without a field goal in the opening minutes of the first half. The Longhorn’s opened a 6-2 lead with ISU’s two points coming on free throws by forward Kenny Pratt. The Cyclones’ first field goal came on a lay in by guard Dedric Willoughby.

The score was 12-8 in favor of Texas when ISU called a 20-second time-out and forward Stevie Johnson entered the game for Pratt.

Johnson scored two quick baskets to tie the game and give the Cyclone offense a spark.

ISU took the lead for the first time on a three pointer by Willoughby that made the score 18-17. The score was 22-21 in favor of the ‘Clones, when a see-saw scoring battle began.

The lead exchanged hands seven times resulting in a 30-29 Cyclone lead at the break.

ISU opened up the second half with a thunderous slam by center Kelvin Cato to make the score 32-29. Texas jumped right back in the game and led by as many as 10 points in the second half.

With 8 minutes left in the game ISU was down 52-46, and Texas began to slow the tempo and run down the clock.

The score had only progressed to a 55-50 Longhorn lead with 2:13 left to play.

The Cyclones started to chip away the deficit and a three-pointer by Willoughby, who finished with 16 points, made the score 55-54 in favor of the Longhorns.

Flashes of the Kansas State game were present when ISU took a 56-55 lead on a layup by Pratt with 11 seconds left in the game.

Pratt was the Cyclones’ second leading scorer with 14 points and eight rebounds.

Texas pushed the ball up the floor and grabbed a 56-57 lead on a tip in by Longhorn center Dennis Jordan.

ISU had one chance to win the game on an inbound pass with just over three seconds left.

However, the pass was intercepted by the Longhorns, and the Cyclones fell in a close game.

In and interview with KASI Floyd said he did not consider the team just one rebound away from a win.

Despite losing the final rebound to the Longhorns, ISU out rebounded Texas 38-26.

“I am encouraged by the rebounding stats,” Floyd said. “They [Cyclones] are beating themselves up over that last defensive board,” Floyd said.

“But it never comes down to one play.”