Tuesday night saw a Big 12 conference matchup between the No. 15 Texas Longhorns and the 2-18 Iowa State Cyclones. The Longhorns were looking to bounce back after a tough loss at the hand of in-state rival Texas Tech over the weekend. The Cyclones were looking for a top 25 upset in their last home game of the season.
Iowa State was without their leading scorer Rasir Bolton in their home finale; Bolton averages 15.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. If the Cyclones wanted to upset the Longhorns, they would need someone to step up in Bolton’s place.
The Longhorns jumped out to an early 28-13 lead; balanced offense was the key to early success for the Longhorns as they shared the ball and let everyone get involved. Although the Longhorns jumped out to an early 15-point lead, the Cyclones would fight to cut the lead to 10 points at the break at a score of 38-28.
Both teams were bit by the turnover bug in the first half the Longhorns turning it over 11 times and the Cyclones turning it over 15 times. The Longhorns outrebounded the Cyclones 17-13 in the first half. The Longhorns got key contributions in the first half from Matt Coleman III who scored 7 first half points and Kai Jones who scored 9 points and grabbed 3 rebounds off the bench in the first half. Cyclones forward Javan Johson led the way for his team in the first half, scoring 7 points.
The second half saw a change of pace for both teams as the offense increased all around. In the second half, Iowa State guard Jalen Coleman-Lands exploded, finishing the game with 22 points for the Cyclones. Coleman-Lands big night was not enough for the Longhorns’ balanced approach, which saw double-digit performances from four players; Courtney Ramey, Matt Coleman III, Greg Brown, and Kai Jones. Kai Jones was the leading scorer for the Longhorns providing 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals from the bench.
The Longhorns will end their regular season on Saturday against their rival Oklahoma Sooners. The Cyclones have 2 more games against No. 18, Texas Tech, and Kansas State. Both the Longhorns and Cyclones will shift their focus towards the Big 12 tournament next week.
