The No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones (16-2, 3-2 Big 12) dropped their second straight game, falling 79-70 on the road to the Cincinnati Bearcats (10-8, 2-3 Big 12).
“We prepare for these moments,” Cincinnati junior guard Sencire Harris said. “Big emphasis on taking care of the ball.”
Senior guard Day Day Thomas led the Bearcats with 19 points. Junior guard Jizzle James followed him with 15 and Harris added 12 points.
The Cyclones have now lost two straight games against unranked opponents. Head coach T.J. Otzelberger will now be forced to turn his team around before a rough stretch that awaits them in February.
“In this league, you know you’d love to play your best every single night and you’d love to win every single night,” Otzelberger said before the game. “But you also know that the other teams are really good.”
Before that stretch, the Cyclones will return to Ames for a matchup with UCF on Tuesday. The game will start at 6 p.m. and be on CBS Sports.
Trap defense in question
Errors are becoming a recurring characteristic of Iowa State in the first half, affecting its ability to establish consistency early in games.
Teams shooting as efficiently as they have against Iowa State is beginning to put the effectiveness of the team’s trap defense into question.
For context, in the Cyclones’ first loss of the season, Kansas shot 50%, 12-24, from 3-point range.
Cincinnati opened the game shooting 5-of-8 (62.5%) from beyond the arc, despite entering the matchup as a 30.7% 3-point shooting team.
The hot start helped the Bearcats build a 21-10 lead with just over nine minutes remaining in the first half.
The shooting cooled off from there, as Cincinnati made just one of its next 12 attempts from deep and finished the opening 20 minutes 6-of-20 from 3-point range.
Cincinnati started strong, but a 7-0 run by Iowa State cut the lead to only four at the break. The Bearcats ended the half missing their last six field goals.
Turnovers and rebounds make the difference
Rebounds and turnovers were two statistical categories in which the Cyclones failed to outperform the Bearcats.
12 Iowa State turnovers directly led to 20 Bearcat points, with the game being decided by nine points, which made the difference.
The Cyclones were also out-rebounded 39-32. 15 Bearcat offensive rebounds also led to 13 second-chance points.
Turnovers and rebounds can be deemed game-defining statistical categories, so losing both of them can make it extremely hard to win games.
Momcilovic’s late spark not enough
The Cyclones found themselves needing a scoring surge late in the final few minutes of the contest.
Junior forward Milan Momcilovic is regarded as one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.
1:38 remaining in the first half is when he made his first 3-pointer. Momcilovic had five of Iowa State’s 7-0 run to end the half.
Momcilovic made six 3-pointers in the last nine minutes of the loss, even drilling some contested step-back jumpers.
Momcilovic did all that he could late, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the loss.
“[The Cincinnati Bearcats] know they can play with anybody,” Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller said. “I have so much respect for [Otzelberger] and Iowa State’s team.”
