Can the Cyclones' Tenacious Defense and Second Chance Points Seal Victory at Moody Center?
The Iowa State Cyclones, ranked 14th, edged out a hard-fought victory against the unranked Texas Longhorns with a final score of 70-65. The Cyclones now hold an impressive record, while the Longhorns face another setback in their season. The game was held at the Moody Center in Austin, where 10,663 spectators witnessed a competitive matchup.
The Cyclones demonstrated a robust defensive performance with ten steals and four blocks throughout the game. Their effort on defense translated into significant offensive opportunities as they capitalized on turnovers by scoring 18 points off them. Moreover, Iowa State's ability to secure rebounds was pivotal; they grabbed 36 total rebounds including an impressive 15 offensive boards which led to 16 second-chance points.
Offensively, Iowa State showed balance and efficiency inside the paint with 34 points coming from that area. They attempted a total of 66 field goals making 27 for a shooting percentage of about 41 percent from the field. From beyond the arc, they shot approximately 35 percent making six out of their seventeen attempts.
Free throws were also crucial for Iowa State as they made good use of their trips to the line converting ten out of thirteen attempts which rounds up to about a solidly efficient rate of approximately 77 percent. This free throw accuracy helped maintain their lead despite Texas' strong second-half push where they scored nearly half their total points.
The Longhorns put up an admirable fight especially in rebounding where they nearly matched Iowa State with a total of thirty-five rebounds but fell short by one. Their two-point shooting was slightly more accurate than that of Iowa State's at around forty-eight percent but struggled from three-point range hitting only three out of fourteen shots for an approximate rate of twenty-one percent.
Texas also excelled at free throw shooting with an outstanding ninety-percent accuracy rate but it wasn't enough to overcome their turnover woes which amounted to fourteen compared to just eight by Iowa State.
Looking ahead after this intense conference game encounter, fans can anticipate another exciting home game for the Cyclones as they prepare to host TCU Horned Frogs at James H. Hilton Coliseum in Ames on February tenth at one o'clock PM Central Time Zone (CT). This upcoming match will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 channel two hundred nine ensuring fans won't miss any action regardless if attending or watching from home.