CHICAGO – Iowa State (6-2, 0-0 Big 12) was clicking on all cylinders offensively Friday night, as it defeated DePaul (1-6, 0-0 BIG EAST) 99-80 behind a Tamin Lipsey triple-double – the seventh in Iowa State history – as part of the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle.
After DePaul hung around in the first half, at one point using a 13-0 run to take a 10-point, first-half lead, Iowa State battled back to wrestle away control at the midway point of the first stanza and eventually distanced itself in the second half. The Cyclones had their highest scoring half of the season in the second stanza, pouring 58 points against the Blue Demons.
ISU finished the game with 29 assists, its most since recording 32 back in 2019. As part of the 29 assists, three Cyclones had 6+ dimes. That’s the first time that’s been done since 2014 when DeAndre Kane, Georges Niang and Monté did so against TCU.
The Cyclones remain undefeated in the BIG EAST/Big 12 Battle, moving to 4-0 across the challenge’s five-year existence. The Cyclones notched the Big 12’s second win, as Houston downed Xavier earlier in the day. The challenge is tied at three apiece with four games left to be played as Kansas topped UConn in a top-five tilt to cap Friday night.
Outside of Lipsey’s historic night, Iowa State had a balanced offensive attack as five other Cyclones scored in double figures. Tre King had his best offensive output in a Cyclone uniform, recording 24 points and going 10-15 from the floor. Lipsey’s final line read: 15 points, 10 boards and 10 dimes. Keshon Gilbert (21), Robert Jones (12), Jackson Paveletzke (11) and Milan Momcilovic (10) rounded out the double-digit performers for Iowa State. Paveletzke turned in his best game as a Cyclone, providing a real spark off the bench and helped fuel the dynamic second half performance.
Lipsey is the first Cyclone since Tyrese Haliburton in 2020 to record a triple-double, and he joins the likes of Monté Morris, Royce White, Jamaal Tinsley, Curtis Stinson and Marc Urquhart as members of the illustrious club.
DePaul was over 55% from deep for the majority of the game, dropping slightly as it began to force more shots. Jeremiah Oden had a career day for the Blue Demons, turning in 25 points and going 6-7 from deep to power DePaul. Chico Carter chipped in 14 points and a team-high eight assists. DePaul was done in by its 17 turnovers and was crushed on the glass, getting outrebounded by 28.
How It Happened
The Cyclones got off to a quick start, taking a 6-0 lead in the first two minutes of action. The Blue Demons responded with an 18-2 run to take a 10-point lead and regain momentum. ISU’s bench sparked the comeback run as Curtis Jones canned a three and a pair of Paveletzke baskets, along with some Lipsey and Gilbert scores, helped the Cyclones retake the lead at the 8:55 mark.
It marked the second time this season that Iowa State had overcome a 10-point first-half deficit, having also done so against VCU at the ESPN Events Invitational.
The Cyclones were unable to stay comfortable though, as DePaul kept things close throughout the half thanks to Oden’s hot shooting. Iowa State was never able to push its lead past six, and after trading end-of-half baskets, went into the locker room up four – 41-37.
Iowa State came out of the break and used an 8-0 run to earn a 12-point lead, its largest of the game at the time, by the 17:12 mark. The opening run for the Cyclones really set the tone for the second half, as ISU threatened to run away with it a couple of times but DePaul’s shooting kept things respectable.
Nine of the Blue Demons’ turnovers came in the second half, as play got a bit sloppy with DePaul turning the ball over in transition multiple times, allowing for Paveletzke, Lipsey and Gilbert to feast in the open court.
ISU opened up its largest lead of the night – 23 points – at the 14:43 mark and would keep the Blue Demons at arm’s length from there, holding on to win by 19 and earn its sixth win of the season and first on the road.
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