IOWA CITY, Iowa – No. 3 Iowa State survived its first road test of the season in an 89-80 comeback win over in-state rival Iowa. 

The Cyclones fell behind on the first possession of the game and had to claw their way from behind all night. Hawkeye forward Payton Sandfort hit the 3-pointer that got Iowa on the board first.

Throughout the first half, Iowa could not miss. The Hawkeyes drilled nearly every shot they attempted and grew a sizable lead throughout the first half.

“They had such a great plan,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “The last four or five minutes, defensively, we were a little better guarding the dribble, contesting, finishing plays on the glass.”

Usually, the Cyclone defense doesn’t allow many shots to fall, but Iowa found something. In the first half, the Hawkeyes shot 53.8% from 3-point range.

“We’re a veteran group,” Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson said. “We’ve been in this situation before, just continuing to make plays and stay with it, even when the other team goes on good runs.” 

On the other end, Iowa State could not make a lot of shots from outside, going 3-for-13 from 3-point range in the first half. Senior Curtis Jones was the one who attempted the most first-half threes with four and only sank two.

With Iowa sinking shots from beyond the arc and Iowa State having to battle inside to get baskets, the Hawkeyes built their lead up to a high of 13 points. Iowa State didn’t go away, however, and used an 8-0 run to close the gap and trail by just seven points at halftime.

“We didn’t have a problem scoring,” Iowa State guard Curtis Jones said. “They were making a lot of 3’s.”

In the first half, Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey, who did finish with 11 points, did not shoot the ball well. He started the second half strong, with the first basket for either team.

It was a 3-pointer.

“The shots are great, but there are so many plays, hustle plays, rebounds, loose balls, I felt like he was so tenacious in that department,” Otzelberger said. “I really believe that those plays are those energizing plays that take the team to another level.”

That shot brought the lead down to four points for Iowa, and that’s where it sat for a while. Iowa State could bring the lead down to five or six points periodically in the second half, but could never get over the hump.

Jones made a few shots during that time and finished as the leading scorer for the Cyclones with 23 points on 8-for-15 shooting.

Jefferson followed Jones in scoring with 19 points, much in part from his free throws. He went 10-for-12 from the charity stripe.

Jefferson also grabbed 10 rebounds for his third straight double-double and contributed seven assists.

“He’s somebody I’ve known since he was a sophomore in high school,” Otzelberger said. “To be able to be on this journey with him now is really special, and to see his confidence continue to grow.”

It wasn’t until guard Nate Heise had five points in a 7-0 Cyclone run that Iowa State finally tied the game.

“[Heise] is a tremendous competitor, somebody that brings great energy to our team, especially when you play on the road,” Otzelberger said. “I liked his energy.”

It was 66 all with 7:44 to go. But Iowa wouldn’t go away quietly. Iowa State had to tie the game two more times until it finally took the lead with three minutes to go.

With just under two minutes to play, the Cyclones nursed a four-point lead. That was when Jones drilled another 3-pointer that sparked another 8-0 run for Iowa State.

That shot put the game in the hands of the Cyclones.

“I knew I was bold for taking the shot, because we’re up two, and the shot clock had to be in the 20s still,” Jones said. “This one, I didn’t think it was gonna be good, but it ended up going in.”

To add to the run, Iowa went nearly the final six minutes without scoring a field goal. The Hawkeyes were outscored 20-8 in the final six minutes and shot 2-for-12 during that time.

“They got some good looks,” Jones said. “We must’ve done a pretty good job.”