Iowa State upset by BYU in Big 12 Tournament. There could be NCAA Tournament implications
Hilton Coliseum and T-Mobile Center are Iowa State’s comfort zones. BYU walked away with victories in both buildings this month.
The Cougars outlasted the Cyclones 96-92 in a wild Big 12 Tournament quarterfinal contest Thursday and will advance to a semifinal game against Houston or Colorado on Friday.
Earlier, BYU survived an overtime battle in Ames. The victories have been part of the Cougars’ nine-game winning streak.
“We just saw these guys, so we know how tough they are,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “We knew what a challenge it would be for us.”
Made even more difficult without the service of two injured starters, guards Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey, who combine to average 24 points.
Both played in the Cyclones’ tournament-opening victory over Cincinnati the previous day. Otzelberger said he was optimistic they’d be ready for NCAA Tournament play next week.
Lipsey said after the game he’d have been about 60% effective.
Curtis Jones did what he could to pick up the slack, scoring 31 points and seven 3-pointers. But he and the Cyclones couldn’t overcome BYU’s efficient offense. The Cougars averaged 1.46 points per possession and made half of their 3-point attempts (18 of 36).
Iowa State is projected as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. BYU shows up on the 5, 6 and 7 lines in most bracket projections.
Houston 77, Colorado 68
The Buffaloes’ improbable run ended with a loss to the second-ranked Cougars (28-4).
Colorado (14-20) won two games as the No. 16 seed and kept things close against heavily favored Houston. The Cougars got 19 points from Emanuel Sharp and likely locked up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament when the bracket is announced on Sunday.
Houston advanced to meet BYU in Friday’s first semifinal at 6 p.m.
Texas Tech 76, Baylor 74
V.J. Edgecombe’s running 3-point attempt banged off the backboard at the buzzer and the second-seeded Red Raiders hung on for the victory.
Texas Tech (25-7) never trailed and led by as many as 15 early in the second half on the strength of scorching 3-point shooting. The Red Raiders made 11 of their first 15 from deep.
Seventh-seeded Baylor (19-14) chipped away as coach Scott Drew switched to a zone defense. It worked. Tech went 6-for-31 from the field in the second half.
Still the Red Raiders had a chance to seal the game with 5.1 seconds remaining, a two-point lead and Christian Anderson at the line for two free throws. He missed both, setting up Edgecombe’s final attempt.
Tech will meet the Arizona-Kansas winner in Friday’s semifinal.
Tech is looking solid as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a chance to rise to a No. 2 seed. Baylor has NCAA Tournament credentials but could be among the last few to receive an at-large bid.
This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 3:00 PM.