No. 10 Iowa State looks to stay hot and stay atop the Big 12 Conference standings when it hosts dangerous Texas Tech on Saturday afternoon in Ames, Iowa.
It’s the only contest of the regular season between the teams and could help to either cement Iowa State as a high seed in the NCAA Tournament or propel the Red Raiders back into the Top 25.
The Cyclones (19-5, 8-3 Big 12) head home after a gritty 68-59 win at Cincinnati on Tuesday. Tamin Lipsey and Curtis Jones led Iowa State with 15 points each, the latter coming off the bench to help jumpstart the offense.
“We find a way to get good shots after they score,” Jones said after the win. “We don’t really care who’s scoring the ball. We’re just looking for the good shots. We’re definitely very happy where we’re at right now.
“We want to stay happy, which means every game is a big game. We have to go 1-0 every game.”
Defense was the difference for the Cyclones against Cincinnati, as Iowa State forced 25 turnovers which it converted into 26 points. The Cyclones also held Cincinnati to 38 percent shooting from the floor and forged a 36-14 edge in points in the paint.