KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Iowa State rode sharp 3-point shooting to a 76-62 win over Baylor in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals to advance to a conference championship matchup with Houston.
The Cyclones leaned on creating open looks around the perimeter to dissect the Bears’ defense in their 14-point win. After only making one three in its win Thursday night over Kansas State, Iowa State shot 50% from deep which ignited multiple runs throughout the game.
Along with connecting on their shots from outside, the Cyclones’ unselfish offense blossomed in every area, turning turnovers into points, taking what Baylor gave them while creating shots of their own.
Cyclones ride hot starts to both halves
Iowa State opened up the game by hunting its shots from the outside, which set the tone for the success from deep. Highlighted by a trio of threes, the Cyclones jumped out to an 11-3 lead, hitting four of its first eight shots from the floor.
Considering how Iowa State won against Kansas State on Thursday, mainly focusing on scoring points in the paint, it was a change of pace to see the Cyclones lean heavily on 3-point shooting.
But with sharp passes around the halfcourt which created open looks, Iowa State took the shots it was confident in and trusted its shooters.
“We can win games in a lot of different ways, so we’ll just take the shots and the opportunities when they present themselves,” head coach T.J. Otzelberger said.
After a cold end to the first half, Iowa State came out of halftime with the same determination the team had at the start of the game.
The Cyclones started the second half 7-for-9 from the floor, including 3-for-4 from behind the arc, while Baylor started 0-7 from the field. This offensive spark opened up a 22-point lead for the Cyclones and swung the momentum in their favor which lasted until the final buzzer.
3-point shooting highlights offensive onslaught
Iowa State finished 10-for-20 from behind the perimeter against the Bears, which all started with Milan Momcilovic’s corner three which put the first points on the board for either team.
Heading into the game 0-for-8 from three in his last three games, Momcilovic admitted it was relieving to see his first attempt from deep fall. The freshman forward finished with 11 points, going 3-for-6 from outside, and credited his teammates for allowing him to get open.
“My teammates create the open looks for me,” Momcilovic said. “But for me, it is just continuing to stay aggressive.”
From there it became a 3-point parade for the Cyclones as Tamin Lipsey, Curtis Jones and Keshon Gilbert each connected on multiple shots from outside.
“I ain’t hit one [Thursday] and I shot five of them,” Jones said. “When I seen the first one go in I was just confident that the rest of them would.”
Jones also finished 3-for-6 from deep and was confident that the Cyclones would not let their performance against the Wildcats define how Friday night would go.
“We put a lot of work into our game, even if we don’t hit some nights, I feel like we know it’s going to come back other nights,” Jones said.
Fluidity and togetherness
Throughout the night, the Cyclones made plays for each other from every level offensively. Highlighted by lobs above the rim and dishes inside, Iowa State constantly set up shots that fed into its multiple runs throughout the game.
Prior to its quarterfinal win, Iowa State had not put together a complete game offensively in a considerable amount of time. This created doubts for the Cyclones heading into the conference tournament, which they responded with by having one of their most complete games of the season.
This meant going back to the basics, playing unselfish basketball and relying on the chemistry they developed in the offseason.
“That’s how you win these late games,” Lipsey said. “It is going to come down to who is more of a collected group who can come together at tough times.”
Iowa State finished with 17 assists on six turnovers, displaying the clean and dependable style of play shown earlier in the season.
Heading into the conference championship game, the Cyclones are playing some of their best basketball at a crucial point in the season. With everyone playing their roles and constantly looking for plays around them, Iowa State has harkened back to what cemented it as a top-10 team and maximizing its offensive potential.
“Now we’re really starting to get a rhythm for it and get a feel for it and really know where each guy is going to be,” King said.
