Men’s basketball edges Iowa State in Big 12 Championship, awaits Texas Tech
By Steve Lansdale
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Junior forward Dylan Osetkowski scored a team-high 20 points and freshman forward Jericho Sims tied the tournament freshman record with 15 rebounds to help the Texas men’s basketball team overcome the absence of star freshman Mohamed Bamba and Iowa State in a 68-64 win over the Cyclones in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship at Sprint Center.
The Longhorns advance to face No. 2 seed Texas Tech in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Thursday in a game that will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
Osetkowski bolstered his stat line with five rebounds, three steals and a pair of assists, while Sims added eight points, two steals and a blocked shot. Guard Kerwin Roach II scored nine points, handed out a team-leading seven assists and pulled down six rebounds, while freshman guard Jase Febres chipped in with 12 points.
Bamba missed his third consecutive game because of a sprained toe.
The victory improved the Longhorns’ record in first-round Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship games to 7-1, and was the team’s sixth consecutive win in the tournament’s opening round. Texas improved to 47-40 all-time in conference tournament games, including a 26-21 mark in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
The Longhorns now enjoy a 22-16 all-time edge in their series against the Cyclones, a ledger that includes a 3-0 sweep of Iowa State this season.
Texas collected 12 steals in the game — the most the Longhorns have swiped all season — enjoyed a 37-32 edge in rebounds and doubled up the Cyclones on second-chance points, 14-7.
