No. 3 Iowa State survives Iowa's hot start for 89-80 win

Curtis Jones scored a game-high 23 points and Joshua Jefferson had 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as No. 3 Iowa State rallied to defeat host Iowa 89-80 on Thursday in Iowa City. Three more players scored in double figures for the Cyclones (8-1), who hounded the Hawkeyes into a 2-for-12 finish from the floor after a torrid start. Iowa (7-3) led by as many as 13 with just over four minutes left in the first half but lost steam despite producing six double-figure scorers. Owen Freeman led the Hawkeyes with 16 points. He was followed by Josh Dix (14) and Payton Sandfort (13). The Hawkeyes hit their first 11 free throws but an empty trip to the line provided an opening for the Cyclones to take their first lead of the night. A Nate Heise layup off a Tamin Lipsey steal put Iowa State ahead 76-74 with 3:05 left. The Cyclones got a stop on the other end, then took control with an acrobatic driving layup from Jones. Iowa finished minus-12 on the glass while allowing Iowa State to snag 18 offensive rebounds. The Cyclones shot 44.3 percent compared to 44.4 percent for the Hawkeyes. Dishon Jackson scored 12 points for Iowa State. Lipsey (11) and Heise (10) were next. Jefferson has notched a double-double in three straight games. Ladji Dembele had 11 points for Iowa. Drew Thelwell and Brock Harding added 10 apiece, with Harding dishing a game-high eight assists. The Hawkeyes connected on their first three attempts from the floor, including two from long range, to establish a tone for a hot first half. Iowa took a 44-37 lead into the locker room behind a 17-for-29 (58.6 percent) effort from the field. Freeman led the way with 10 first-half points on 3-of-4 shooting, while Dembele and Thelwell both drilled a pair of treys. Jefferson scored 12 points before the break for Iowa State, which started just 1-for-10 from long range. Iowa State stopped a four-game road losing streak in the series and added on from a 25-point home win last season. --Field Level Media