Iowa State gained a lot of confidence after its 70-52 win over No. 8 Texas Tech at Hilton Coliseum this afternoon. It was an all-around team win for the Cyclones improving their record to 11-7 overall and 2-5 in the Big 12.

Confidence isn’t the only thing Iowa State took from this win. Here are three takeaways from the upset.

Field Goal Percentage

After the TCU loss on Wednesday, coach Steve Prohm told the media that Iowa State needed to be better on the defensive end. Well, the Cyclones responded well with that particular task.

Coming into the game, Texas Tech was ranked third in the nation for defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Iowa State wasn’t fazed by that daunting ranking for the Red Raiders and performed the way coach Steve Prohm was hoping.

The Cyclones shot 51.9 percent in the first half and ended the game with a 47.4 field goal percentage. Defensively, Iowa State held Texas Tech to a 33.9 field goal percentage throughout the game.

Along with overall field goal percentage, the Cyclones had a higher 3-point percentage as well. Iowa State shot 38.1 percent from behind the arc, while Texas Tech shot 23.1 percent. These two categories led to Iowa State’s upset over the top 10 team.

“We fought, we clawed, they came in here and we know they play physical and we matched that,” said redshirt junior guard Nick Weiler-Babb on Iowa State’s defense. “Coming in here and getting a win like this is something we talked about and I know coach is proud of us for that.”

Turnovers and Second Chance Points

Today, Iowa State won the turnover battle as the Cyclones committed 11 turnovers to the Red Raiders’ 15 turnovers.

Texas Tech’s coach Scott Beard said that Iowa State deserved to win this game because the Red Raiders committed too many turnovers that resulted in fast break opportunities and Iowa State being able to score on back-to-back possessions.

Turnovers are mostly caused by guards when they pass the ball or are dribbling it up the court. Nick Weiler-Babb (three), Lindell Wigginton (zero) and Donovan Jackson (one) combined for four turnovers in the game, which made Prohm happy with how the three guards continue to develop and grow with each game.

Prohm was not happy about the amount of second chance points the Red Raiders scored on the Cyclones. Texas Tech had 19 points compared to Iowa State’s eight points in second chance efforts.

That was one thing that Weiler-Babb and Prohm said could be improved upon for the upcoming game against Texas on Monday.

“They’re also moments where the game can flip,” Prohm said on calling an early timeout in the second half. “You just to reestablish ‘hey guys, they have 29 points and 15 are off second chance. We’re doing a great job at half-court defense. Can you be great in transition and can you box out and make toughness plays?'”

Steals and Blocks

Those 15 turnovers by Texas Tech were initiated by a strong defense from Iowa State. The Cyclones recorded seven blocks and six steals resulting in 14 points off of turnovers for Iowa State.

Cameron Lard had three of the seven blocks, while Weiler-Babb had three of the six steals and added two blocks as well. Even though this seems like a good game in these two categories, it’s pretty standard for Iowa State.

In the first six games of the Big 12 conference, Iowa State has had four games similar to today’s numbers in the steals and blocks categories.

Against Kansas State to start the Big 12 season, Iowa State recorded four blocks and seven steals. The next game against Texas, the Cyclones had six blocks and five steals.

The following game at Oklahoma State, Iowa State had five blocks and six steals. Finally, the Cyclones recorded seven blocks and six steals in their first Big 12 win against Baylor last Saturday.

With knowledgeable guards like Wigginton, Weiler-Babb and Jackson, steals can come at a higher rate because they know when and how to make a steal happen. Iowa State also has a big presence in the paint with players like Hans Brase, Solomon Young and Lard, so blocks can become a consistent part to the Cyclones’ repertoire.

“We just have to max out our roles for this year’s team,” Prohm said. “We are laying a foundation for the future.”