Iowa State opened its Bahamas trip Sunday with a convincing win over Lucayans.
The trip started with a 15-0 Cyclone run, and they never let off the brakes once through the entire game. The Cyclones won in dominating fashion by a score of 119-48.
The Cyclones shot 58% from the field while nailing nearly half of their three-point attempts. They ended the day by knocking down 12 of their 26 three-point shots.
Defense was also on display for the Cyclones, as they held Lucayans to just 22% shooting and only two three-pointers throughout the entire contest. Along with the defense, Iowa State demonstrated its cohesive teamwork which has been a focus over the summer. Of the 48 made shots, 20 were assisted by other Cyclones.
“Over the past eight weeks, we’ve worked on the connectivity of our team,” said Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger. “After going against each other in practice over that time, I was proud of the way our guys played in their first game against a different opponent.”
The shining star of the day was Buffalo transfer Curtis Jones. Jones was a threat from beyond the arc, connecting on 8-of-12 three-point attempts and putting up 32 points.
The next closest Cyclone to Jones was Keshon Gilbert with 14 points. Iowa State sophomore point guard Tamin Lipsey also had himself a day putting up 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Two other returning Cyclones also saw double-digits with Tre King and Demarion Watson putting up 10 points each. Watson also led the team in steals with five.
Many of the newcomers also had a shot at getting solid reps against real competition. Freshman Milan Momcilovic led the team in boards with eight, while Omaha Biliew added seven rebounds of his own. Wofford transfer Jackson Paveletzke led the team with seven assists.
The overall balanced effort of the Cyclones was a factor in their huge 119-48 win. They then brought that momentum over into day two.
Although the offense was not as strong as the first day of competition, Iowa State still put on a dominating defensive performance to take down Zalgiris 78-52 on Monday.
Iowa State held its lead throughout the entire game, starting off with a 9-1 lead. The Cyclones outscored Zalgiris in all three of the first quarters, taking a 70-38 lead. With the win in sight, the Cyclones could take it easy for the final quarter.
“Really proud of the way our guys started the game,” Otzelberger said. “We knew this team would be physical based on their first two games here this week. It’s always our goal to be the more aggressive team.”
Zalgiris dropped its first two games of the week with an 86-60 loss to South Carolina and a 76-62 loss to Creighton.
King was a man on a mission on day two, as he led the team with 14 points. Gilbert and Lipsey again found themselves at the top of the stat sheet with 12 points a piece. Momcilovic was the last Cyclone in double-digits with 10 points.
Paveletzke showed off his supporting skills by leading the team again with five assists. Gilbert and Lipsey had four assists each. Hason Ward also blocked two shots, which he did in the first game as well.
“I was happy with our balanced scoring attack but even more impressed with three different guys having four or more assists each,” Otzelberger said.
The shooting was not as on point as the first day, as the Cyclones shot 47% from the field and just 22% from beyond the arc. It was enough to take down Zalgiris even going up against 52% three-point shooting.
The Cyclones forced 35 turnovers from which they scored 36 points. Iowa State also outscored Zalgiris 44-14 in the paint.
The Cyclones will finish their Bahamas trip off by taking on members of the Puerto Rico National Team. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. Wednesday.
