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The 11th-seeded Iowa State Cyclones upset the sixth-seeded LSU Tigers 59-54 in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday in Milwaukee to move onto the second round in Midwest Region action.
It was an impressive win amid an incredible turnaround season under first-year head coach TJ Otzelberger. The Cyclones finished 2-22 last season and entered the NCAA Tournament with a 20-12 record this season.
While many thought LSU was going to have the better defensive performance at Fiserv Forum, it was Iowa State’s defense that suffocated the Tigers and caused them to make silly mistakes, which ultimately cost them a spot in the second round.
Notable Stats
Tyrese Hunter, Iowa State: 23 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 5 STL
Darius Days, LSU: 14 PTS, 12 REB, 2 STL
Izaiah Brockington, Iowa State: 19 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL
Tari Eason, LSU: 18 PTS, 4 REB
Iowa State’s Swarming Defense Too Much for LSU
In a battle of two defensive-minded teams, the Iowa State defense proved to be much more effective on Friday night at Fiserv Forum.
The Cyclones’ defense was especially effective in the first half, holding LSU to just 19 points, the lowest scoring output for the Tigers in a first half this season.
And while LSU was able to find more success in the second half, Iowa State’s defense was still a gamechanger as it forced 19 turnovers throughout the game. Any progress the Tigers made was essentially eliminated by a turnover.
This performance from the Cyclones shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise. During the regular season, they forced 13.8 turnovers and 8.4 steals per game.
The team’s defensive efficiency is what helped power its offense, too, as it was able to effectively transition and score points off turnovers to hurt opposing teams down the stretch.
NCAA March Madness @MarchMadnessMBB
Tyrese Hunter with a SMOOTH finish for the Cyclones ????<br><br>Watch now on TBS ➡️ <a href=”https://t.co/htu1U0GCtm”>https://t.co/htu1U0GCtm</a><a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#MarchMadness</a> <a href=”https://t.co/DaOvIirqJQ”>pic.twitter.com/DaOvIirqJQ</a>
NCAA March Madness @MarchMadnessMBB
The Cyclones extend the lead to double-digits ????<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/MarchMadness?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#MarchMadness</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/CycloneMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@CycloneMBB</a> <a href=”https://t.co/zPsxuLBYFU”>pic.twitter.com/zPsxuLBYFU</a>
Freshman guard Tyrese Hunter and senior guard Izaiah Brockington were two of the Cyclones’ most effective players against the Tigers, combining for 42 points, seven rebounds, four assists and eight steals.
With the way Iowa State played on Thursday, it’s clear the team will be a threat to make a Cinderella run this year. The Cyclones are gritty, passionate and have a lot of tenacity that could help them go far in this tournament.
However, they’ll need to have better performances than they did on Thursday down the stretch. While the defense was outstanding, the offense doesn’t currently look like it can keep up with some of the better teams in this tournament.
What’s Next?
The Cyclones will move on to face either No. 3 seed Wisconsin or No. 14 seed Colgate in the second round.
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