The state’s NCAA Division I programs struggled at home and on the road. Wartburg won the Battle of the Burgs. Alburnett won its inaugural Rivere Valley Conference tournament and more in the Wrestling Weekend That Was.
Five ISU players scored in double figures, led by Joshua Jefferson with 19 points. The 6-9 senior also grabbed a team-best eight rebounds while distributing five assists.
Jackson went 6-for-12 from 3-point range. The rest of the Cyclones went 3-for-24 from beyond the arc. And with UCF double and triple teaming star center Audi Crooks, an inability to hit shots from the perimeter can lead to disaster.
And a fourth straight win would be more than “pretty good” for a Cyclone team that’s climbed back into a tie for third place in the conference standings.
Crooks has fully emerged as a leader, combining her rare on-court gifts with keen communication skills that can positively impact the team beyond the stat sheet.
Senior point guard Tamin Lipsey’s layup started it. Junior forward Milan Momcilovic’s 3-pointer stoked it. And a deep 3-pointer from backup freshman guard Jamarion Batemon capped it at 21-0.
The Gazette sports writer K.J. Pilcher and Iowa wrestling legend Dick Briggs give their take on wrestling in Iowa from college to high school
Fennelly became the Big 12’s all-time winningest coach as ISU (17-5, 5-5) dominated the Red Raiders, 84-70, at a quiet United Supermarkets Arena in Lubbock. He passed current LSU coach Kim Mulkey with his 297th Big 12 win.
Jefferson’s trained his sharp eye on this eighth-ranked ISU team (18-2, 5-2 Big 12), which is off to its best start in school history entering Thursday’s 6 p.m. game (FS1) against Colorado (12-8, 2-5) at Hilton Coliseum.
University of Iowa remains fourth in the latest poll, coming off a win at No. 6 Nebraska and preparing for No. 9 Minnesota on Friday. Iowa State is third and UNI is 13th.
The mere fact that a timeline existed for Jackson to return to the court became a lifeline for the ISU women, who were in the early stages of their first five-game losing streak in a decade. Head coach Bill Fennelly initially thought she could be back in a month. Jackson cut that early estimate in half — and the Cyclones are 2-0 since her return.
University of Iowa rebounded with a dual victory at Nebraska. Iowa State returned to Humboldt to cap 2-0 weekend. Coe, Luther competed at the American Rivers Conference duals and assorted high school results in the Wrestling Weekend That Was.
Five Arizona players fouled out in the Cyclones’ whistle-filled and utterly dominant 90-65 win that played about before 10,165 fans.
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