Cyclones Surge Past Cougars in a Close Encounter at Marriott Center
The Iowa State Cyclones emerged victorious against the BYU Cougars with a final score of 80-75. The Cyclones, who have been showing consistent form this season, added another win to their record, now standing at an impressive tally. The Cougars, despite a valiant effort on their home court at the Marriott Center in Provo, fell short by five points.
From the opening quarter, the Cyclones set the tone with 20 points to BYU's 16. However, they faced a slight dip in momentum during the second quarter scoring only 10 points against BYU's 17. This did not deter them as they came back strong after halftime with an explosive performance in both third and fourth quarters scoring 25 points each time.
The Cyclones' offense was firing on all cylinders with a field goal percentage of 45 and converting twelve out of twenty-seven three-point attempts which accounted for a solid three-point percentage of 44. Their free throw accuracy was also notable at 71 percent success rate from seventeen attempts.
On defense, Iowa State showed tenacity by grabbing forty-one rebounds compared to thirty-two by BYU. They were particularly effective on second-chance opportunities securing twenty-one second-chance points which played a crucial role in their win.
A standout player for Iowa State was instrumental in orchestrating plays that led to fourteen assists and contributed significantly to their eight points off turnovers. Despite committing fourteen turnovers themselves, they maintained composure throughout the game which is reflected in their assists turnover ratio of just over one.
The Cougars put up strong resistance with higher two-point shooting accuracy at fifty-one percent and dominated inside scoring forty-two points in paint compared to twenty-four by Iowa State. They also made more steals than Iowa State but were less disciplined committing seventeen personal fouls over twelve by the visitors.
As fans look forward to future games, they can mark their calendars for when Iowa State Cyclones host West Virginia Mountaineers at James H. Hilton Coliseum located in Ames on January 10th at 7:30 PM local time. This game will be available for viewing on ESPN+ ensuring fans won't miss any action from this anticipated matchup.