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Iowa State 85, Texas 76

Alan Draper profile picture
Sports Editor
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AMES, Iowa — Three Iowa State players scored at least 20 points Tuesday, fueling the 17th-ranked Cyclones to an 85-76 win over No. 19 Texas.

Iowa State ran away with the game in the final minutes by turning to forward Melvin Ejim, guard DeAndre Kane and forward Georges Niang. Ejim scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Kane contributed 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Niang added 20 points and five assists.

The Cyclones (20-5, 8-5 Big 12) earned their seventh win over a ranked opponent and their fifth victory in six games overall.

Texas erased a 10-point, second-half deficit due in part to two 3-pointers from Javan Felix. The sophomore guard started the game 2-for-12 from the floor, but he helped the Longhorns tie the score at 48 with 14 minutes left. Felix, whose average of 12.7 points ranks second on the team, finished with 16 points on 6-of-22 shooting.

A game that started out with both teams trading missed shots and empty offensive possessions turned into a shootout midway through the second half.

The teams traded five 3-pointers in the span of about two minutes, but the Longhorns struggled to match the Cyclones point for point. Iowa State built a 12-point advantage by getting the ball into the paint and getting to the free-throw line. The Cyclones also held the Longhorns to one field goal in a 7 1/2-minute stretch while extending the lead to double digits.

Despite a poor shooting night from the floor, Texas stayed in the game with its foul shooting and offensive rebounding. The Longhorns made 23 of 25 free throws, and they grabbed 20 offensive rebounds while shooting 32.9 percent from the field.

Guard Isaiah Taylor led the Longhorns (20-6, 9-4) with 26 points and eight assists. He added seven rebounds.

Texas beat Iowa State 86-76 in January by taking advantage of its size inside. Longhorn forwards Cameron Ridley and Jonathan Holmes combined for 39 points and 18 rebounds in the contest. They only combined for 18 points and 14 rebounds Tuesday.

Iowa State used its defense to build a 36-27 halftime, closing the half on a 12-4 run. The Cyclones held the Longhorns to one field goal in the final six minutes of the half.

Both teams struggled from the floor early, as they combined to miss 23 of their first 32 shots. The Cyclones subsequently rode their transition game to a 5-0 run midway through the half, taking a 24-18 lead.

Thanks to the quickened pace in the final 10 minutes the Cyclones, shot 47.1 percent in the half. Guard Monte Morris found Ejim for two alley-oops, and Ejim led Iowa State with 14 first-half points.

Texas never found its shooting stroke in the first half. The Longhorns shot 27.0 percent but controlled the offensive glass. They secured 11 offensive rebounds before the break and relied on second-chance points for buckets. Taylor led the Longhorns with eight first-half points.

NOTES: Iowa State G DeAndre Kane was selected one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award this week. The award is given annually to the nation’s top point guard. … The Longhorns have 20 victories, the 14th time in 16 seasons coach Rich Barnes hit the 20-win mark at Texas. … Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg passed Tim Floyd for the second-most wins by a Cyclones coach in his first four years with 82. Larry Eustachy is first with 84 victories.

Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.

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