Iowa State and Auburn put on a thriller worthy of the Maui Invitational, as the Tigers outlasted the Cyclones for an 83-81 victory on Monday night.
The game came down to the final possession, as Iowa State guard Keshon Gilbert was stripped of the ball off a dribble and the Tigers went to the other end and took the lead on a tip-in by Johni Broome with less than two seconds left.
The game was also the first Top 5 matchup in the first round in the history of the tournament. That’s incredible considering the tournament is now 40 years old.
The game lived up to the hype, even though No. 5 Iowa State (3-1) threatened to run away with it and built an 18-point lead in the first half. The No. 4 Tigers (5-0), which beat Houston earlier this year, beat its second Top 5 team of the season, something the program has never done.
Broome finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Tigers, while Chad Baker-Mazara scored 18 points.
Gilbert led Iowa State with 23 points, while Curtis Jones scored 14 points, Dishon Jackson scored 13 points and Milam Momcilovic added 12 points.
The best part is the Maui Invitational is back home. This tournament is back in Maui after wildfires destroyed a good portion of the island and the 2023 tournament was moved to Honolulu. Monday’s game was back at the Lahaina Civic Center where it belongs.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Iowa State, Scoring Machine?
Since he arrived in Ames, coach T.J. Otzelberger has made it a point to instill a defensive-minded attitude in his Cyclones. And since he arrived, Iowa State has been among the best defensive teams in the country.
But, at times, that has come at the expense of the Cyclones’ ability to score. This year, Otz, in my opinion, has put together his best offensive team. In the first half, that vision was on full display.
The Cyclones shot 58% from the field, including 45% from the 3-point line. Iowa State only turned the ball over twice, and of course that trademark defense turned Auburn over seven times. Plus, Iowa State’s offense was efficient enough to turn those seven Auburn mistakes into 11 points.
That offensive mindset came in handy down the stretch of the first half, as Iowa State finished the half making its final four shots and going on a 6-0 run to build a 16-point lead at the break. Auburn had cut it to 10 and was building some offensive momentum.
Basketball is a game of runs, and Iowa State showed they could create them and withstand them against the Tigers.
The Baker-Mazara Factor
One other consideration during Iowa State’s huge first half was the Tigers losing Chad Baker-Mazara to an injury. He sat for most of the first half and, during that time, the Cyclones built that huge lead.
He gave it a go in the second half. Actually, he did a lot more than that.
Broome may have had more points, but it was Baker-Mazara that sparked the Tigers back into the game. He scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half, made a trio of 3-pointers and grabbed three rebounds.
He tweaked the knee again in the second half, but he returned. That was good news for Auburn. Every team has that “key” player, the one that seems to spark everything. It looks like Baker-Mazara is that player for the Tigers, something to file away if these two teams meet again.
Iowa State’s Report Card
The big takeaway for Iowa State is that these Cyclones are as advertised. There’s a reason the AP voters put them in the Top 10 in the preseason. There’s a reason why the coaches put them among the top teams in the conference in the Big 12 preseason poll. There’s a reason I believe this is Otzelberger’s best team.
By game’s end ISU shot 47% from the floor, 39% from the 3-point line, committed nine turnovers and turned Auburn’s 12 turnovers into 19 points.
The Cyclones tied Auburn in bench points with 18 and outscored Auburn in the paint, 34-28, even though they were outrebounded, 35-27.
Iowa State had a chance to win and a turnover did it in. But, it was the first huge test of the year and nothing that I saw on Monday dissuaded me from the belief that Iowa State can’t make their deepest NCAA Tournament run under Otzelberger.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
