No. 20 Iowa State basketball blown out by No. 19 BYU in Big 12 Conference game
Life on the road in the Big 12 has never been easy.
It appears it still won't be even when visiting newcomers of the league.
No. 19 BYU turned a close men's basketball game into a blowout 87-72 win Tuesday against No. 20 Iowa State at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
"They were the more aggressive team," Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said on the Cyclone Radio Network. "We’ve got to be better. We didn’t have the energy. We didn’t have the ball pressure.
"Their push offensively put us on our heels."
The Cyclones fell to 13-4 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12, with both league wins coming at Hilton Coliseum in Ames and both of their losses coming away from their home venue.
"It’s an environment we hadn’t seen something quite like this yet," Otzelberger said. "We have to handle it better."
It was a night when not much went Iowa State's way, from BYU getting hot from 3-point range to Hason Ward being ejected for a flagrant foul. The Cyclones' defense, ranked second in the country in efficiency, was gouged by BYU's attack all night.
"We know playing in this league, best league in the country," Otzelberger said, "you’re going to have nights you don’t play you best."
The Cougars shot 47 percent from the field and made 13 3-pointers. Spencer Johnson paced the Cougars with 28 points.
Meanwhile, Iowa State shot 44 percent, including 28 percent from 3, while turning it over 13 times. The Cyclones forced just 11 BYU turnovers.
Keshon Gilbert had 16 points to lead the Cyclones while Milan Momcilovic added 11.
Second-half woes
Iowa State survived an early onslaught of 3s from BYU to go into halftime down just four despite surrendering 39 points and seven triples. But things quickly started to get away from the Cyclones after the break.
BYU made five of its first eight shots of the second half while Iowa State missed nine of its first 12, putting the Cyclones down 11 before the 12-minute mark of the second half.
It never got better from there as Iowa State's grip on the game only loosened until it completely got away from the Cyclones.
Iowa State shot 35 percent from the floor and went 1-of-9 from 3-point range in the second half.
"We have a high standard for how we do things at all times," Otzelberger said, "and that didn’t show up for us here tonight."
Tamin Lipsey exits with injury
Iowa State point guard Tamin Lipsey left the game late with what appeared to be a left shoulder issue. Otzelberger told the Cyclone Radio Network that the sophomore would be evaluated later.
Any sort of injury to Lipsey would be hugely problematic for Iowa State, which depends on him critically on both ends of the floor.
Lipsey was 4 of 12 from the floor for nine points to go along with four rebounds and five assists.
Up next
Iowa State is spending this week away from Hilton Coliseum with a second road game Saturday.
The Cyclones will head south to Fort Worth, Texas, for yet another matchup with a ranked opponent with No. 22 TCU awaiting them at Schollmaier Arena.
The game will tip at 1 p.m. and be broadcast by ESPNU.
The Horned Frogs (13-4, 2-2), like Iowa State, knocked off then-No. 2 Houston last week, but fell on the road Tuesday to Cincinnati in overtime.
Iowa State is 3-1 against TCU in Otzelberger's tenure.
Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball crushed by BYU in Big 12 Conference game
