In Big Eight, the Last Shall Be First

Picked last, Iowa State finished first.

Dedric Willoughby’s two free throws with 5.5 seconds to play gave No. 23 Iowa State (23-8) a 56-55 victory over No. 5 Kansas (26-4) on Sunday at Kansas City, Mo., for the Big Eight conference tournament championship and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

It completed a remarkable season in which the Cyclones were picked last in preseason polls after losing their best three players from last season’s tournament finalist.

The final Big Eight game was played at a breakneck pace before ending on a controversial foul call that sent Willoughby, who made the most free throws in the league this season, to the line.

Willoughby, who finished with 20 points, was fouled by Jacque Vaughn after Raef LaFrentz had given the Jayhawks a one-point lead with 7.1 seconds to play by making two free throws.

Kansas Coach Roy Williams said “maybe we reacted a split-second too late” to stop Willoughby’s dribble.

“Without seeing the tape, I didn’t like the call,” Williams said. “The kid continued to dribble. I don’t think it was a foul. It was a surprise.”

Vaughn then took the inbounds pass and dribbled the length of the floor before missing a bank shot and time ran out as players fought for the rebound as the Cyclones beat a team it had finished second to and lost to twice in the regular season.

BIG TEN

Indiana 57, Michigan State 53--Todd Lindeman made two free throws with 15 seconds left after recovering a loose ball to stall a last-minute Michigan State drive at Bloomington, Ind.

Ray Weathers scored with 36 seconds left to bring Michigan State within 55-53 after the Spartans had trailed by nine with 4:55 left.

Michigan State scored one field goal over the last 3 1/2 minutes.

Indiana, 19-11 overall and 12-6 in the Big Ten, built up a 53-44 lead, its largest of the game on a field goal by Charlie Miller with 4:55 left. Michigan State (15-15, 9-9) came back on a three-point play by Jamie Fieck and a basket by Weathers to bring the Spartans within four points.