No. 15 Iowa State secured a dominating 78-60 win over Creighton Tuesday to continue moving forward in the Players Era Festival.
Last time out against the Bluejays, Iowa State lost 71-58, in a devastating and embarrassing loss in an exhibition game. Now, coming with a top player out, the Cyclones proved something and came out in style during their time in Las Vegas.
Creighton’s slow offense
Within the first half, the Bluejays played slowly and concisely when in possession. However, the slow-paced game Creighton set up does not work well for Iowa State, leading the team to think fast and make big plays, overall capitalizing on the Bluejays’ slow ball handling.
This led the Cyclones to go on a 10-0 run, their largest of the game, alongside preventing Creighton from making effective shots, as every time the Bluejays were in possession, Iowa State was quicker and secured seven steals.
This ultimately led the Cyclones to secure 13 fast-break points off the Bluejays’ slow offense and their inability to handle Iowa State’s defensive pressure.
When Creighton was finally able to make it to the basket, the team was still unable to put up points, ultimately giving the Cyclones the lead as the Bluejays went on a run of making zero of their seven attempted shots from the field.
Due to the Cyclones’ powerful blocking and Creighton’s lack of precision when shooting in the first half, Iowa State was able to secure 12 defensive rebounds within the first 20 minutes of play.
Lipsey out, others fill offensive gaps
During the Cyclones’ first game of the Player Era Festival against St. John’s, senior guard Tamin Lipsey suffered a groin injury during Iowa State’s 83-82 win and was out the rest of the game.
Still healing, Lipsey sat out of the game against Creighton, leading to other players stepping up to fill in the offensive gaps. Lipsey, the team leader, averages 50% from the field so far this season, alongside averaging 18.4 points per game.
Senior guard Nate Heise, who filled in for Lipsey in the starting lineup, finished the game with eight points, five rebounds and three steals.
Another standout player was senior forward Joshua Jefferson, a Las Vegas native, who showed out in front of his friends and family.
Jefferson, who was seen limping off the court in the second half, was able to step back in and ended the game with a double-double, as he secured 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
Leading the Cyclones offensively was freshman guard Killyan Toure, who scored a team high of 20 points. Alongside securing four rebounds, Toure posted one steal and one block.
After the dominating win, Iowa State currently stands at 2-0 in the tournament, with no clear opponent for Wednesday’s game as of publication.
