On its first stop on its road trip across Utah to play two schools, No. 6 Iowa State had its weaknesses exposed in a 79-69 upset loss to No. 23 BYU on Saturday.
Uncharacteristic Cyclone behavior in first half
Known for having trouble away from Hilton Coliseum this season, going 4-3 on the road so far while being undefeated at home, one would think that after the 62-55 loss against TCU in Texas that something would have changed.
However, Iowa State came out flustered at Marriott Center, starting with a won jumpball by the Cyclones, leading to a 3-point jump shot by junior forward Milan Momcilovic that was then blocked by the Cyclone’s biggest opponent of the game, freshman guard AJ Dybantsa.
Following the blocked 3-point shot, senior forward Joshua Jefferson earned himself the first foul of the game and it only got progressively worse throughout the first 20 minutes of the game.
Iowa State lacked its usual offensive drive as it secured 30 points in the first half, compared to BYU’s 39.
Jefferson was the leader in the first half for Iowa State as he secured seven points. However, Jefferson was not the only player in cardinal and gold that was off balance offensively, as Iowa State shot 10-for-26 from the field and went 5-for-11 from deep.
Complementing the team’s lack of shooting success, as they either overshot or airballed, the Cyclones faced a six-minute scoring drought and missed rebounds, an action that Iowa State usually thrives on.
The Cyclones also secured five turnovers in the first half, a large difference from them only obtaining three against Houston the game prior. BYU was able to capitalize on Iowa State’s mistakes as it secured nine points.
Dybantsa gives Iowa State a fright
Coming into the game, the Cyclones had a common understanding that Dybantsa was going to be hard to guard, as the 6-foot-9 freshman currently leads the nation in scoring, averaging 24.8 points per game.
In the first half, blocking Momcilovic’s 3-pointer, the first possession of the game and strong in transition, Dybantsa secured a team-high of 14 points within the first 20 minutes, shooting 6-for-11 from the field.
In the second half, he made it no easier for the Cyclones as he made the first shot of the half, from deep, only leading BYU’s offensive success as he grabbed 29 points overall.
However, it wasn’t just his shooting that the Cyclones could not mange to contain; Dybantsa was dominant in all areas of his game as he spent 40 minutes on the court and ended with a game high of 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
Dybansta overall led BYU’s ball control as the Cougars prevented Iowa State from creating and profiting off forced turnovers, alongside staying present around the basket to gather offensive rebounds, which were in turn made into second-chance points.
BYU ended the night forcing 10 turnovers and creating 13 points off the Cyclones’ mistakes, alongside securing 12 offensive rebounds and 10 second-chance points.
Cyclones panic in final minutes
In the final minutes of the game, it was clear Iowa State was panicking. Although the team continuously fought back and created a closer score margin of two points, it quickly became 10 as the Cyclones went on a scoring drought for four minutes, unable to get a shot up.
Although granted opportunities to secure a shot, Iowa State either rushed it, was sloppy or overall had little to no hope that it would go in.
Even not in possession of the ball, the Cyclones were panicking as they quickly rushed into their defensive play-making, attempting to steal or double-team their opponents. However, this ultimately led them to secure fouls instead of gaining possession.
Iowa State ended the game with 20 fouls, with Momcilovic and redshirt senior guard Nate Heise each having four, compared to BYU’s 15.
Ending the game with a scoring slump, the Cyclones will leave Marriott Center shooting 42.6% from the field, going 8-24 from deep and securing 28 rebounds. Leading the minimal offensive success was senior guard Tamin Lipsey, who secured 19 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Following the loss, Iowa State will make its second stop on its road trip through the Beehive State to take on the University of Utah at 8 p.m. Tuesday. The game will be broadcast on FS1.
