Iowa State KOs defending champ UConn
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The national champions won't be repeating, thanks to Iowa State.
And when Jim Calhoun and Connecticut will be back in the NCAA Tournament is anyone's guess.
Chris Allen led four Cyclones in double figures with 20 points and Iowa State scored its last 14 points at the free-throw line to beat Connecticut, 77-64, Thursday night in the South Regional.
It's the first time since UCLA in 1996 that the defending champs have lost in the opening game. Calhoun didn't even wait for the final buzzer, heading for midcourt with about four seconds left to congratulate Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg.
It was only the second loss in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament for UConn.
It was the biggest victory for the eighth-seeded Cyclones in a season of them, as they knocked off Kansas and Baylor during Big 12 play. Next up for Iowa State: Overall No. 1 seed Kentucky Saturday.
For the Huskies, the future is far less certain. This could be Connecticut's last tournament until at least 2014, with the Huskies facing a ban on tournament play next year because of past academic problems. Although Calhoun insists he hasn't made any retirement plans, he's had a history of health problems -- he's a three-time cancer survivor -- and he turns 70 in May.
The Cyclones arrived in Louisville with no shortage of swagger, smirking when asked if they were intimidated by the defending national champions.
And they wasted no time backing up their big talk, jumping on the Huskies from the opening tip. It took Calhoun less than two minutes before he'd seen enough, jumping up to call a timeout.
After leading by as much as 22 in the first half, Iowa State (23-10) withstood a UConn rally in the second half. Ryan Boatright went on a one-man tear, making three straight baskets to pull Connecticut within 58-52 with 8:24 to play. But the Huskies (20-14) couldn't get any closer, missing their next four shots and going scoreless for more than 51/2 minutes.
Connecticut wound up going 8-13 after a 12-1 start.
