Peterson: Iowa State basketball can overcome all adversity

AMES – Stars aligned darn near perfectly for an Iowa State basketball calamity against BYU Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum.

The Big 12 Conference Tournament next week, which the Cyclones can legitimately win. The NCAA Tournament the following week, in which T.J. Otzelberger’s team can be a No. 2 seed at Omaha. And there’s more.

A game out of first place in the tough Big 12 with two left on the schedule – and first-place Houston trailing UCF at the half in Wednesday night’s early game.

And did I mention it was Senior Night and a 17-game home winning streak the Cyclones were trying to extend?

The situation was ripe for something bad for a team that’s had oh so many wonderful moments. And for a half, it looked like it. The defense was not what we’d been used to. BYU couldn’t miss.

Something clicked. Thoughts went back to a players-only preseason meeting during which goals were discussed – goals like going unbeaten at home and winning the Big 12.

Boom.

A huge second half, especially on defense, made all that possible again after a 68-63 victory at Hilton Coliseum.

Winning streak?

Check.

More: Iowa State basketball finishes undefeated home season with comeback against BYU

Big 12 title possibility?

Check.

One game to go?

Buckle up – not only for Saturday against the Kansas State Accusers, but for what lies beyond. It’s going to be one wild ride that, quite honestly, could lead to the ultimate – the Final Four.

“It’s pretty awesome to be going into the last game of the season, and to be in a position … to give yourself a chance to potentially win a conference championship,” coach T.J. Otzelberger said in likely what was the first time this season he allowed himself to look toward the future.

“Man, we all do this for a long time, and it doesn’t happen much. And then to do it in the best league in the country – really awesome opportunity ahead of us on Saturday.”

If Iowa State (24-6, 13-4 Big 12) sweeps the Wildcats, which means winning in Manhattan Saturday …

And if Houston loses at home (and Kelvin Sampson’s team never loses at home) against Kansas …

And if Texas Tech wins at Baylor …

Then Iowa State and Houston tie for the title – and the Cyclones have the tiebreaker based on winning percentages against third-place teams.

More: Peterson: Iowa State-BYU basketball history includes finger-wagging excitement

That’s three stars that must align perfectly, and all must happen on the road.

Long shot? The longest, but still possible.

Anything’s within the bounds of possibility with this team that enters the 2023-24 regular season’s finale a game behind Houston in the Big 12 standings.

Not bad, eh, for a team the coaches picked to finish seventh?

As for the all-Big 12 teams which will be announced starting Sunday night – if Otzelberger isn’t unanimous coach of the year, then the coaches need their heads examined.

That’s how slam dunk that voting should be. That’s the kind of job Otzelberger has done during his third season at master control of a program that went to the Sweet 16 during his first season on the job.

What happened Wednesday night was a perfect example of the adversity his team has successfully battled this season. It was a perfect example why his peers shouldn’t have a problem with their COY choice.

Down 14 points in the second half?

No problem.

Can’t play a lick of defense in the first half?

Stuff happens.

All factors like that have hardened this nine-player rotation. They’ve made this team resilient and given them the confidence that nothing is unsurmountable.

“It continues to build our confidence,” said Curtis Jones, who scored 18 points Wednesday night. “That was a tough win – probably one of the toughest, if not the toughest, I think we’ve had all year.

“After the game, I’m like, I don’t know how we pulled that one out, but it was fun.”

Fun?

Nerve-wracking fun at times, but for sure, the game’s final 20 minutes were something to behold – especially Iowa State holding BYU to 25 points after the Cougars led 38-27 at the half.

That wonderful half included an 11-0 Cyclones run of points. It included an eye-popping eight defensive stops in a row. It included a dozen points from Tamin Lipsey.

All the stuff Iowa State did wrong in the first half? It corrected that stuff during the second.

That defense included BYU not making a field goal for nearly the game’s last 6 minutes.

Adversity?

Counter adversity.

Home streak?

And you thought Hilton Magic was dead. No way.

“(Wednesday), it hit a new high with some of the volume and how loud it was in there,” Otzelberger said. “We needed all of it.”

Oh yeah, the crowd was jacked for this one. The better Iowa State played in the second half, the more jacked it became.

At times, you couldn’t carry on a conversation with the person seated next to you. That’s how loud it was – to me, the loudest of a very loud season.

“We’ve put ourselves in great position,” Otzelberger said. “We’re going to be ready to be at our best on Saturday - to do what we can on our end to finish the regular season.”

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 52nd year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Hwy Iowa State basketball can overcome all adversity