Iowa State Cyclones

Final score, analysis: Lipsey, Jones lead Iowa State past Utah

Iowa State remains unbeaten in Big 12 play with victory over Utah

Dana Becker

Iowa State and Curtis Jones return to action on Tuesday night against Utah at home.
Iowa State and Curtis Jones return to action on Tuesday night against Utah at home. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The third-ranked Iowa State men are back in action Tuesday night, hosting Utah inside Hilton Coliseum in Ames.

The Cyclones (12-1, 2-0) are coming off a convincing win over Baylor this past weekend, as they have won nine straight. On the year, Iowa State is averaging over 86 points per game while allowing just 65. 

Standing in the way of a 10th consecutive victory will be Utah (8-5, 0-2), who is searching for its first conference win of the season. The Utes, who have dropped three straight, are coming off back-to-back double-digit losses to Texas Tech and Baylor. 

The ESPN BPI gives the Cyclones a 90 percent chance to win, as they are 18.5-point favorites. The over/under for the game has been set at 153.5 points.

Check out our live updates and in-game analysis of Iowa State vs. Utah below:

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Final Stats, Analysis

Curtis Jones scored 23 and Tamin Lipsey added 20 as the Cyclone backcourt controlled this one, using a 44-point second half to secure a third Big 12 victory. 

Lipsey was 11 of 14 from the free throw line as Iowa State finished 22-for-29 as a team. The Cyclones made just six 3-pointers and only recorded 11 assists on 27 made field goals. 

Joshua Jefferson added 17 points and seven rebounds to match Lipsey on the boards. Keshon Gilbert chipped in 15 and five with two steals. 

For Utah, Gabe Madsen had 20 points and Miro Little 13 off the bench. The Utes shot just 36 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers.


Live Second Half Updates


Final score: Iowa State 82, Utah 59

Iowa State 61, Utah 46, 7:40 left in second: All the Cyclones need to do is be patient and work the offense here over the final seven-and-change to get win No. 13 and improve to 3-0 in the Big 12. The Iowa State defense has tightened on the Utes, and the combination of Curtis Jones and Tamin Lipsey has combined for 38 points. 

Iowa State 52, Utah 41, 11:32 left in second half: An 8-3 run spearheaded by a 3-pointer from Joshua Jefferson have given the Cyclones an 11-point advantage almost halfway through the second half. Tamin Lipsey with three free throws and Jefferson with two more during the run.

Iowa State 42, Utah 31, 15:26 left in second: The Utes are still trying here against the vaunted Cyclone defense, as Gabe Madsen and Curtis Jones exchange buckets to keep the distance at double figures in the second half.

Live First Half Updates

Halftime: Iowa State 38, Utah 25

The Cyclones used a huge run here late in the half to take control of the contest at the break. Down 22-17, Iowa State outscored Utah over the next several minutes, 21-3. Curtis Jones has 14 points, Tamin Lipsey 10 and Keshon Gilbert seven to lead the Cyclones. 

For the Utes, Gabe Madsen has made 10 but is just 4 of 12 shooting from the field. No other player has scored more than five.

Iowa State 29, Utah 22, 3:41 left in first: The Cyclones have found their rhythm, erasing the deficit and taking a seven-point lead, the biggest of the game. That is a 12-0 run that started with the 3-pointer by Keshon Gilbert. Curtis Jones also hits a triple and a jumper while Tamin Lipsey knocks down four free throws.

Utah 22, Iowa State 20, 7:41 left in first: The Utes have taken control of the game here on the heels of a 3-pointer by Miro Little. Little’s bucket with 9:07 left before half put Utah up by five, as Keshon Gilbert answered back with a triple of his own off an assist by Milan Momcilovic. The Utes are plus-four on the glass but have already committed six turnovers, which have resulted in 11 Iowa State points. 

Iowa State 17, Utah 14, 11:37 left in first half: The Cyclones are keeping the Utes at bay so far, but Utah’s been able to hang around thanks to a strong effort on the glass. Gabe Madsen with a 3-pointer to pull them within three here at the under-12 media timeout. Curtis Jones, who was a little off over the weekend, has scored seven.

Iowa State 9, Utah 5, 15:57 left in first half: The Cyclones have used a rally here before the first media timeout to take a slim lead as Joshua Jefferson, Milan Momcilovic and Tamin Lipsey each have a bucket.

Pregame Updates

This should be another opportunity for the Cyclones to add to the win total, as the Utes have yet to really contain anyone of note over the past three games. They allowed 95 to Iowa and 93 to Texas Tech, as they surrender nearly 70 per game. 

The game tips at 7 p.m. Central time and airs live on ESPN+.

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Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in north-central Iowa.

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