AMES — A late run and clutch defense from the Cyclones helped avoid another near-upset in a 60-52 back-and-forth win over UCF, and Iowa State’s hopes for a double bye in the Big 12 Tournament remain alive.
Despite cold offensive starts in each half, the Cyclones walked out of Orlando, Florida, with its third straight win and seventh in eight outings.
Neither team could string together consistent runs or build sizeable leads, but Iowa State succeeded at the end of each half to build momentum to make up for many offensive lulls.
Cyclones grab momentum late in the first half
The opening five minutes looked like it would be another tough night for Iowa State offensively. The Cyclones had fallen behind 8-4 and were struggling to work the ball inside against the length and size of UCF.
Even after grabbing a 9-8 lead with a Keshon Gilbert free throw, they were quickly met with a shot to the gut.
After a loose ball collision on the floor, Robert Jones took an inadvertent shot to the back of his head as he fought for the ball. This left Jones noticeably shaken up as he laid on the floor, forcing a stoppage of play, with the Cyclone fans in Addition Financial Arena holding their breath.
Jones took a spot on the bench to collect himself before reentering the game two minutes later.
Despite looking comfortable offensively, Iowa State failed to build up a sizeable lead over UCF for much of the first half.
Even with the Golden Knights coughing up the ball with offensive fouls and sloppy passes, the Cyclones had their fair share of mishaps as well. Iowa State fell into a bit of a rhythm of sinking a couple buckets followed by a turnover to halt themselves from taking a commanding lead.
The Cyclones proved to be the more consistent team over the course of the first half, especially in the final four minutes. They finished the final 4:30 on a 9-4 run to head into halftime with a 36-29 lead.
Another clutch finish
UCF opened up the second half on a 10-2 run to take the lead as Iowa State came out cold, similar to how it started the game. The Cyclones went 1-for-9 from the floor with a trio of turnovers in the first six minutes as they failed to figure out the Golden Knights’ trap heavy defense.
The Cyclones answered back with a pair of buckets from Jones and Tre King to grab back the lead. But with only six points over nine minutes, they had failed to build off the momentum they ended the first half with.
Defense took a back seat for both teams as they traded buckets back and forth, with the Golden Knights retaking the lead as they found holes in Iowa State’s defense. Buckets for Iowa State were spread out, with sloppy ball handling and bad passes filling the gaps.
The Golden Knights had used their size advantage to grab rebounds and push the ball inside on the other end to take the lead. With four minutes left in the game, Iowa State was struggling to put up shots and were trailing 50-49.
The Cyclones proceeded to lock in on both ends, highlighted by forceful drives and tight defense to force UCF into low-percentage shots. The Golden Knights broke down defensively and allowed Iowa State to do what it does best: work the paint and get to the free-throw line.
After scoring 14 points in the first 16 minutes of the second half, Iowa State went on a 10-2 run to finish the game.
Defense stays true late
The Cyclones’ pesky defense in the second half held UCF to 33% shooting from the field to complement their late offensive run to win the game. Although there was a momentary scare when the Golden Knights were in the driver’s seat with four minutes to go, Iowa State’s defense returned at the right time.
UCF finished the game with zero field goals in the final five minutes, as well as four turnovers in the final four minutes. The Cyclones built off the offensive momentum and did not allow the Golden Knights to work their way inside like they had been earlier in the half.
With Iowa State clogging up the lanes, UCF was forced to kick the ball outside in hopes of hitting big shots from deep to get back in the game, an area it failed to connect from all day.
The Golden Knights finished the game going 1-for-19 from 3-point land including three misses in the final three minutes, when they needed them to fall the most. The Cyclones did not have to worry about guarding the perimeter late, as UCF had proven shots from outside would not save this game.
