Cyclones defend their way past BYU, rally to defend their perfect Hilton record

AMES — The whims of conference and NCAA basketball tournaments are known to all, and nothing assures the Iowa State men’s team glory once it crosses from the regular season into the postseason.

However, nothing should detract from the glory that has come this season for the 24-6, sixth-ranked Cyclones, who sent their loud, proud fans home from Hilton Coliseum Wednesday the same way they’ve done it every game here this season: With a win.

It was 68-63, over a very good BYU team, and it was uphill most of the way. It was the kind of victory you wonder how the Cyclones got, but you also know how. With their meal ticket, their defense.

This one brought torment to the 14,267 fans for much of the game, as the Cyclones staggered to a 38-27 halftime deficit and fell behind by 46-32 with 15:56 left. It was a 9-point BYU lead with 9:41 left, then Iowa State erased that entire deficit in the span of one minute and 19 seconds.

The 20th-ranked Cougars, who won at Kansas last week, led 63-61 with 4:23 left, then had nothing the rest of the way. No baskets, no free throws, and no timeouts to use. They spent them trying to thwart Iowa State momentum, or when they got trapped in a corner by Cyclone defenders.

Sophomore guard Tamin Lipsey was dynamite in the second half. The Ames native made big shots, ran the show, and kept pilfering the ball. He had five steals Wednesday, has 82 this season.

His last swipe came with 12.7 seconds left, knocking the ball off Dallin Hall just before it went out of bounds. A fabulous play, it was.

Two seconds later, Keshon Gilbert made two free throws for a 66-63 lead, BYU’s Trevin Knell missed a 3-pointer, Gilbert rebounded and made two more foul shots with 1.4 seconds remaining.

It was “Sweet Caroline” time for the 18th time in 18 home games. Good times have seldom felt as good as they have here this season, as Otzelberger’s crew has gone 24-6, and sewed up no worse than a second-place finish in the star-studded, 14-team Big 12 with its 13-4 record.

BYU outclassed the Cyclones in the first half and appeared on its way to a repeat of its 87-72 victory over Iowa State in Utah on Jan. 16. That easily was ISU’s worst defensive showing of the season. This wasn’t a sequel.

The clamps the Cyclones have put on foes so often this season came out, if a little late for the tastes of Otzelberger and the crowd. BYU went from 57.7 percent shooting in the first half to 23.3 percent (7-of-30) after that.

“Obviously the first half wasn’t great for us,” Lipsey said, “but we always bounce back because that’s what this team does. We never complained or we never quit. We always fight. And that’s what we did coming out of that first half.”

“It wasn’t perfect,” said Otzelberger, who has to be a strong contender for National Coach of the Year. “But I do think that our unity, our togetherness, the investment our guys make in each other, I think it shows up for key moments in the game.

“I believe that’s what happened here tonight.”

BYU had tasted a lot of new snake pits this season, its first in the Big 12. It opened eyes by leaving Kansas’ intimidating Allen Fieldhouse with a 76-68 win over the Jayhawks last week. But this was Hilton.

“It was a great environment. This gym’s a special place, a special fan base,” BYU Coach Mark Pope said after the game.

“We just don’t turn it over 17 times. That’s a credit to Iowa State.”

“I think that helped us a little,” understated Cyclone senior guard Curtis Jones, who had 18 points. He said after the game he plans to return here next season and use his fifth season of eligibility.

The only news that would be as good for the Cyclones this week is if Kansas pulls an upset at first-place Houston Saturday and opens the door for Iowa State to share the Big 12 title if it wins at Kansas State that day.

As for what the Cyclones could control, their last team to go undefeated at home was the 2000-01 club.

“It’s pretty cool, a pretty cool deal,” Otzelberger said.

“I was not alive the last time that happened,” Lipsey said.

He was alive Wednesday. Oh, how he was alive.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com