Iowa State withstood Texas Tech’s best effort to notch a tough Big 12 road win on Saturday. The Cyclones erased a 13-point first-half deficit in their 85-84 overtime win.
Associated Press No. 3 Iowa State (14-1, 4-0 in Big 12) needed a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation to send the game to an extra period.
Sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic took the inbound pass from the baseline and pushed it upcourt with a pass to junior guard Tamin Lipsey, who drove toward the basket.
Cyclones junior forward Joshua Jefferson trailed the play, and Lipsey found him open underneath the basket. Jefferson released the ball just before the clock hit triple zeroes to keep Iowa State’s perfect Big 12 start intact.
In overtime, Jefferson knocked down two free throws with 4.1 seconds left to give Iowa State an 85-84 lead, and the Cyclones held on after Texas Tech missed a last-second layup.
With the win, Iowa State remained one of three Big 12 teams undefeated in conference play, which began on Dec. 30, joining Houston (14-3, 3-0 in Big 12) and Arizona (9-5, 3-0 in Big 12).
The Cyclones are one of the country’s hottest teams, winning 11 in a row. Their only loss was to No. 2 Auburn (15-1, 3-0 in SEC), 83-81, in the Maui Invitational on Nov. 25.
Iowa State’s depth makes it a legitimate threat to win the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Coming off the bench, senior guard Curtis Jones led all scorers against Texas Tech. He had 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, in 35 minutes.
Jones leads the Cyclones in scoring (17.3 points) this season but has only started once. Five players are averaging at least 10 points per game.
Per KenPom, Iowa State is one of two teams to rank in the top 10 in the country in offensive and defensive rating (Duke). The Cyclones entered Saturday No. 7 in NET rankings and improved to 4-1 in Quad 1 games following the win against Texas Tech.
Next, Iowa State hosts No. 11 Kansas (12-3, 3-1 in Big 12) on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2), giving it another potential resume-boosting game as it looks to earn a 1-seed in March Madness for the first time in program history.
