Peterson: Iowa State basketball's Demarion Watson had "surreal" moment during Oklahoma win
AMES – In case you were among the Iowa State basketball fans who left Wednesday night’s 58-45 victory against Oklahoma, you missed quite a touching moment with under a minute left and the outcome well beyond decided.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger took Demarion Watson from the lineup with 37 seconds to play, which on normal occasions, would signal the end of a very good night.
This however was far from normal.
Watson played his best ball of the season, at a time his teammates needed him most. A personal best of 15 points to go along with nine rebounds during 23 off-the-bench minutes. He was THE story on a night the Cyclones took another big step toward possibly playing its first two games of the NCAA Tournament in an Omaha regional.
GAME STORY: Iowa State basketball clamps down on Oklahoma to win 17th-straight at Hilton Coliseum
But wait – Otzelberger sent him back in just 12 seconds later.
Yes, Watson played so well on this night in which the Cyclones won their 17th home game in a row, that he deserved an ovation from however many of the 14,267 who hung around Hilton Coliseum until game’s end. That’s precisely what happened when Watson returned to the bench again, this time with celebratory music blaring and Hilton rocking.
Watson slapped hands with his coach. They embraced. The fans were on their feet, knowing that they’d witnessed something they hadn’t seen during this wonderful season that just keeps getting better.
“It was amazing,” Watson said, “Obviously, I had a great game, so it was a testimony to the fans. We had a great win -- a great showing. The crowd gave us a lot of energy. I was loving it and embracing it.”
They weren’t the only ones loving every moment of Watson’s best game. Otzelberger was, as well.
“I wanted him to know how proud of him that I was for being ready for the moment,” the coach said. “When you’re in his spot, you don’t always know how many minutes or when you’re going to go in the game. It can be hard to stay mentally prepared when the moment presents itself.
“I told him how proud of him I was and how impactful he was in our winning the game, and then I wanted to make sure he understood how much everybody appreciated what he did.
“I wanted him to look around and just see 14,000 people who appreciated the effort he gave, the energy he had, and that he should feel great about it. He was very impactful in a big win. He was ready for the moment. He did a heck of a job.”
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Otzelberger couldn’t have drawn it up any better, one of the most well-deserved ovations of this ovations-rich season. Watson's game was precisely what sixth-ranked Iowa State needed on a night its shooting wasn’t great – and, for that matter, neither was the entire performance until closing the first half with a 9-0 run.
It’s deep in the season, however, just a couple weeks before Iowa State fans converge on Kansas City for their annual party, otherwise known as the Big 12 Tournament. Stuff like this happens sometimes.
Players are tired. No one is 100% healthy. Passes aren’t as crisp and shots aren’t falling like they once fell.
That’s not just Otzelberger’s team, it’s that way for darn near everyone. But look at it this way: As poorly as the Cyclones played at times, it didn’t pull a Kansas, which in case you didn’t know, lost a home game Tuesday against BYU.
That’s because something kicked in late in the first half. It’s because that guy named Demarion Watson was the latest bench player to provide a much-needed spark.
“I thought Watson was a difference maker,” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said. “He gave them a tremendous lift. We’re trying to make some kind of run to get it into single digits, and he hits that 3 in the corner.”
That was Watson’s only 3-pointer of the game, and did I mention that he was 6-for-6 on his two-point attempts?
“We didn’t have a lot of energy the first half, so I thought was my job to bring energy,” Watson said.
Jackson Paveletzke provided it during last Saturday’s win against West Virginia. Wednesday it was Watson, and here's one more eye-popping statistic:
Iowa State's four reserves combined to make 14 of their 25 field-goal attempts. The starters? Uh, that'd be 7-for-38.
“At this time of year, depth is really important,” Otzelberger said. “Having guys that can come in and have that kind of (Watson) impact is huge.”
You bet it is, and maybe even the next player with a home-court breakout moment will get the same kind of reaction.
“A surreal moment,” Watson said of the loud standing ovation he received. “(Otzelberger) was saying 'This is for you – that you put in the work. Continue to climb.'”
Who will it be on Saturday at UCF? And then back home next week against BYU, and then in the regular-season finale at Kansas State?
You wonder.
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 52nd year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball's Demarion Watson had his time in the spotlight
