Jerome Tang Addresses Interactions with TJ Otzelberger After 78-67 Loss
Kansas State’s trip to Hilton Coliseum provided a classic “rock fight” Big 12 showdown on Wednesday evening, with homecourt advantage providing Iowa State the vessel it needed to grab a 78-67 victory over the Wildcats.
In what was an incredibly physical game that totaled 47 fouls, the teams combined to miss 20 free throws and Jerome Tang’s squad ultimately felt the full weight of “Hilton Magic.”
Tang received an ill-timed technical foul with just two minutes left in the game after disputing a foul called on David N’Guessan, the resulting free throws extending Iowa State’s lead to 69-62. A three-pointer from Milan Momcilovic 30 seconds later provided the dagger for the Cyclones, pushing the lead to 10 points with 1:31 remaining.
“I wasn’t trying to get a tech,” Tang said of the pivotal moment. “I didn’t say anything. I just thought it was a bad call and waved my arm. With the intensity of that game and that moment, I would think that we would all be given a little grace.”
The game was certainly intense, and at times there were items were being thrown at the Kansas State bench. At one point, Tang left the coach’s box and crossed the half-court line to try and address the issue with Iowa State head coach TJ Otzelberger.
When the final buzzer sounded, Tang appeared to once again address the issue in a seemingly heated exchange with the Cyclones’ head coach.
During his postgame press conference, Tang addressed the exchange in front of the score table.
“Nothing happened,” Tang said. “We talked about a situation that took place during the game. He (Otzelberger) said he would check into it. I told him thank you and went on.”
Otzelberger was also asked about the heated exchanges during and after the game, but declined to elaborate on the situation.
“I think there’s a point in time where things are said between coaches that need to stay that way, so that’s where we’re going to keep it,” Otzelberger said. “Hard fought game on both sides. A lot of respect for what they did and just fortunate to come out with a win.”
Things will not get easier for the Wildcats (14-5, 4-2) after the disappointing loss, as they’ll head to Houston on Saturday to take on the fourth-ranked Cougars (17-2, 4-2).
Meanwhile, Iowa State (15-4, 4-2) will try and ride the momentum of the win into another huge home game on Saturday with No. 7 Kansas (16-3, 4-2) coming to town.
