IOWA CITY, Iowa — In an intense showdown on Thursday evening, Curtis Jones led the way for Iowa State with 23 points, while Joshua Jefferson contributed 19 points along with 10 rebounds, helping the No. 3-ranked Cyclones rally back from being down by 13 to secure an 89-80 victory against their rival, Iowa.
This win marked a significant milestone for Iowa State, improving their record to 8-1 while also breaking a four-game losing streak on the road against Iowa in this rivalry series.
With just 3:05 remaining in the match, Nate Heise converted a key layup, which allowed the Cyclones to take their first lead of the night at 76-74. Iowa State capitalized on a dry spell for the Hawkeyes, who fell cold late in the second half, missing 14 of their last 15 attempts over an 8.5-minute period.
For the Cyclones, Dishon Jackson added 12 points and Tamin Lipsey chipped in 11 points, showcasing a well-rounded team effort. On the other side, Owen Freeman was Iowa’s leader with 16 points, followed closely by Josh Dix with 14 and Payton Sandfort who scored 13 points.
In terms of key observations, Iowa State displayed resilience despite struggling with their three-point shooting early on. They missed nine of their first ten attempts from behind the arc, but a timely three-pointer from Lipsey just 20 seconds into the second half ignited their shooting performance. Ultimately, the Cyclones improved their three-point shooting from three of 13 in the first half to eight of 15 in the second half.
Iowa, despite facing injury challenges throughout the season, had all players available for the first time this year. Coach Fran McCaffery opted for a limited rotation, utilizing only eight players. The Hawkeyes also made a strategic change to their starting lineup, bringing Ladji Dembele off the bench. He responded positively with 11 points, a noteworthy increase from the six points he accumulated in his prior four games.
A critical moment in the game arrived when Freeman found himself at the free-throw line, tied at 74 with just 3:34 left on the clock. He missed both attempts, marking the first free-throw misses for the Hawkeyes in the contest. This opened the door for the Cyclones, as they quickly gained momentum and outscored Iowa 15-6 in the final moments.
One interesting statistic from the game is that this contest marked the first time in a while that the nonconference rivalry was decided by a single-digit score, breaking the trend of the last six matchups, which were decided by an average of 20.3 points.
Looking ahead, Iowa State will embark on a two-game home stretch to wrap up their nonconference schedule, facing Omaha on Sunday. Meanwhile, Iowa is set to host New Orleans on the same day as they aim to bounce back from this tough loss.
