Texas Tech may not have been ranked in the 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 top-60 defense.
Iowa State, however, passed the test and earned its 11th straight victory.
The third-place Cyclones escaped Lubbock with an 85-84 overtime victoryfending off a tenacious Texas Tech team that led for the majority of the game.
Joshua Jefferson hit the winning free throw with 4.1 seconds remaining in overtime, going 2-for-2 from the line to give the Cyclones a one-point lead. Texas Tech had a last-second shot at the buzzer, but it wasn’t good.
Jefferson also made the game-tying layup at the regulation buzzer to force the extra period.
More: Iowa State vs. Texas Tech basketball recap: Highlights from Cyclones’ OT win
Curtis Jones scored a season-high 26 points. Jefferson finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. 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 earns gutsy victory, first victory in Lubbock since 2019
In the full 45 minutes of play between regulation and overtime, Iowa State only held the lead for a total of 99 seconds. Despite this and all the momentum shifts in between, the Cyclones managed to find a way to prevail 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 the best out of everyone. Iowa State was down by as many as 13 midway through the first half, but was able to overcome the slow start.
The Cyclones didn’t take their first lead until 9:24 into the second half. The Red Raiders quickly regained the lead, but Iowa State was able to convince the buzzer-beater to push the game into overtime.
In overtime, the Cyclones scored the first field goal, but the Red Raiders then responded with a 7-0 score to put the pressure on. There were four lead changes in the final 49 seconds, but Iowa State managed to hang on.
Defense played a key role in the victory. Although Texas Tech shot the ball well in the first half, the Cyclones took over in critical moments. Outside of free throws, Iowa State held Texas Tech to just one made shot over the final 5:30 of regulation.
More: Iowa State basketball: Cyclones outlast Texas Tech in overtime road win
Then in overtime, when Texas Tech took a four-point lead with 1:32 left, the Cyclones buckled down and held them to a field goal the rest of the game.
There were a few deflating turnovers or missed free throws for TJ Otzelberger’s team late, but the Cyclones were undeterred and earned their first win at United Supermarkets Arena since January 16, 2019.
“You go on the road, you play a really good team, they’re ready for the game, and they have talented players, great decision-making leaders,” 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 a guard, especially with the way Tamin and Keshon can put pressure on the ball.
“Then they brought out the freshman (Christian Anderson) and he’s good, he’s got a big future. But I’m just proud of our guys. Find a way to win, you just gotta find a way to hang your hat . your defense.”
The Cyclones’ new frontcourt continues to make its mark
Dishon Jackson, Joshua Jefferson and Brandton Chatfield have been welcome additions to the Cyclones’ frontcourt this season.
For Jackson, Saturday was a fairly quiet game as the Cyclones opted to go smaller and get a boost in rebounding and defense from Chatfield. But he still scored eight points on 4 of 5 shooting with one block in 13 minutes of action.
Chatfield continues to build his confidence and embrace his role as a tough player in the post. He played many minutes in crunch time and Otzelberger even chose to leave him on the floor against Milan Momcilovic in crucial moments. Chatfield briefly left the game at one point with what appeared to be an ankle injury, but he returned and helped the Cyclones seal the victory.
He had four points, six rebounds and a block. He played 21 minutes and had a plus-minus rating of +10, second-highest on the team behind Lipsey’s +13.
As for Jefferson, he hung in there at the free throw line and made a few key baskets late to keep the Cyclones’ chances of winning alive. A versatile player, he rarely left the field and played 38 minutes. He also helped on the glass after the Red Raiders pushed the Cyclones throughout the first half.
Curtis Jones once again changes the game for the Cyclones
He’s the ace up Iowa State’s sleeve when he comes off the bench.
After tying his previous high of 23 points in the win over Utah earlier in the week, Jones followed up with another big game and a new season high with 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 anywhere on the court is fun to watch and he is also solid on defense.
Jones has now led the Cyclones in scoring in seven of 15 games this season.
“He’s been great,” Otzelberger said. “The level of aggression that he plays with offensively, chasing shots and chasing plays, and the confidence and the courage that he has, especially here on the road – I mean, my God, 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 [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article was originally published on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball: 3 takeaways from Cyclones’ win over Texas Tech
