Iowa State basketball: 3 takeaways from the Cyclones' win over Texas Tech

Iowa State basketball: 3 takeaways from the Cyclones’ win over Texas Tech

Posted by Admin January 12, 2025 Basketball

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Texas Tech may have been unranked in major polls, but all the analytics pointed to Saturday being a trap game for Iowa State men’s basketball.

The Red Raiders were ranked No. 15, according to KenPom, and boasted a top 10 offense and a defense that was rated in the top 60.

Iowa State passed the test, though, to acquire its 11th-straight victory.

The third-ranked Cyclones escaped Lubbock with an 85-84 overtime win, fending off a tenacious Texas Tech team that led for the majority of the game.

Joshua Jefferson hit the game-winning free throw with 4.1 seconds remaining in overtime, going 2-for-2 at the line to put the Cyclones up by one point. Texas Tech got a last-second shot at the buzzer, but it was no good.

Jefferson also hit the game-tying layup at the buzzer in regulation to force the extra period.

Curtis Jones had a season-high 26 points. Jefferson finished with 17 points and eight boards. Keshon Gilbert had 14 points, four assists, four steals and six turnovers. Tamin Lipsey had nine points, two assists, four steals and four turnovers.

Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s game:

Iowa State gets a gutsy win, first victory in Lubbock since 2019

Out of the full 45 minutes of game action between regulation and OT, Iowa State only held the lead for a combined 99 seconds. Despite that and all the momentum shifts in between, the Cyclones were able to find a way to come out on top in a hostile environment.

Road wins are never easy to come by in the Big 12, and the No. 3 Cyclones are going to get everyone’s best shot. Iowa State was down by as many as 13 points midway through the first half, but it was able to overcome that slow start.

The Cyclones didn’t get their first lead until the 9:24 mark in the second half. The Red Raiders regained the lead quickly, but Iowa State was able to get the buzzer-beater to push the game into overtime.

In OT, the Cyclones had the first basket, but then the Red Raiders responded with a 7-0 run to put the pressure on. There were four lead changes in the final 49 seconds, but Iowa State was able to hang on.

Defense was a key part in the win. Although Texas Tech shot the ball well in the first half, the Cyclones came up big in crunch time. Outside of free throws, Iowa State limited Texas Tech to just one made shot over the final 5:30 of regulation.

Then in overtime, when Texas Tech took a four-point lead with 1:32 left, the Cyclones buckled down and held them to one basket for the remainder of the game.

There were a few deflating turnovers or missed free throws for T.J. Otzelberger’s team late, but the Cyclones stayed undeterred and got their first win at the United Supermarkets Arena since Jan. 16, 2019.

“You go on the road, you play a really good team, they’re up for the game, and they’ve got skilled players, great decision-making point guards,” Otzelberger told Cyclone Radio. “(Elijah) Hawkins has 10 assists, no turnovers, I’m not sure we’ve seen a stat line like that against us from any guard, especially with the way Tamin and Keshon can put pressure on the ball.

“Then, they brought the freshman off the bench (Christian Anderson) and he is good, he has a great future. But just proud of our guys. Find a way to win, you just got to find a way to hang your hat on your defense.”

Cyclones’ new frontcourt continues to make their mark

Dishon Jackson, Joshua Jefferson and Brandton Chatfield have been a welcome addition to the Cyclones’ frontcourt this season.

For Jackson, Saturday was a pretty quiet game since the Cyclones opted to go smaller and get a rebounding and defending boost from Chatfield. But he still logged eight points on 4-of-5 shooting with a block through 13 minutes of action.

Chatfield continues to build confidence and own his role as a tough player in the post. He played plenty of minutes in crunchtime and Otzelberger even opted to have him on the floor over Milan Momcilovic in crucial stretches. Chatfield briefly exited the game at one point with what appeared to be an ankle injury, but he returned and helped the Cyclones seal the win.

He had four points, six boards and a block. He played 21 minutes and had a plus-minus rating of +10, the second-most on the team behind Lipsey’s +13.

As for Jefferson, he was clutch at the free-throw line and had some key baskets late to keep the Cyclones’ chances for a win alive. A versatile player, he rarely came off the floor and logged 38 minutes. He also helped on the glass after the Red Raiders pushed the Cyclones around through the first half.

Curtis Jones is a game-changer for Cyclones once again

He is the ace in Iowa State’s sleeve when he comes off the bench.

After tying his previous season-high 23 points in the win over Utah earlier in the week, Jones followed up with another big game and a new season-high 26 points. Seventeen of his 26 points came in the second half or overtime, and he shot 6-of-10 during that stretch.

His ability to score from anywhere on the court is fun to watch and he’s tough defensively, too.

Jones has now led the Cyclones in scoring in seven out of 15 games this season.

“He was terrific,” Otzelberger said. “The level of aggressiveness that he plays with offensively, hunting shots and plays, and the confidence and courage he has especially here on the road — I mean, goodness, what a great game on the road against a great team.”

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.