3 Key Takeaways from Iowa State’s Loss to BYU: A Box Score You Won’t See Again

The energy that had filled the arena all night came to an abrupt halt with just four seconds remaining in double overtime, as a desperate fadeaway airball from Iowa State guard Milan Momcilovic sealed an 88-85 victory for BYU.

With 13:16 left in the game, BYU surged to a 21-point lead. The entire BYU bench rushed to greet guard Dallin Hall, who executed a thunderous alley-oop dunk, prompting an Iowa State timeout.

From there, Iowa State switched to a small-ball lineup in an attempt to make a comeback. Momcilovic brought the Cyclones all the way back, tying the game with a 3-pointer with 44 seconds left.

Here are three key takeaways from the game:

Iowa State dominated BYU in the turnover battle, forcing 29 turnovers compared to BYU’s 11.

This statistic is even more remarkable considering BYU averages only 12.2 turnovers per game, with their highest turnover game of the season being 17 against UCF.

Equally surprising, BYU out-rebounded Iowa State 52-24, with 17 offensive rebounds almost matching ISU’s total rebounds.

ISU head coach TJ Otzelberger attributed these unusual stats to the four-guard lineup he played for most of the second half, which helped the Cyclones rally but sacrificed size and rebounding ability.

“We created turnovers because we were playing faster, but with that comes the tradeoff of giving up some size and physicality on the glass,” Otzelberger explained. “We can’t let them grab every missed shot in the final moments of regulation and both overtimes. That’s not acceptable.”

Despite the disparity in rebounds, ISU managed to limit BYU to just nine second-chance points, a solid defensive effort given the Cougars’ 17 offensive rebounds.

“If we had rebounded better or stayed focused at the start of overtime, we’d have had a better chance,” Otzelberger said.

Otzelberger Attributes Poor Overtime Starts to Lack of Mental Focus The Cyclones not only had to recover from a 21-point deficit, but they also dug themselves into a hole at the start of both overtime periods.

In the first overtime, Iowa State fell behind 72-68 after a 3-pointer and free throw within the first 1:49. In the second overtime, a turnover and an easy BYU fast break pushed the Cougars ahead 83-79.

“We’ve got to focus on maintaining a consistent mindset,” Otzelberger said. “We can’t keep digging ourselves into a hole. Credit to BYU for what they did, but we couldn’t get out of that last hole.”

Cyclones Missed Their Opportunity to Capitalize on BYU’s Weaknesses Iowa State had a chance to seize control of the game early, taking a 14-5 lead midway through the first half, but the advantage never felt secure. Both teams struggled with shooting early, and they entered halftime with ISU shooting just 28.6% (four-of-14) from beyond the arc.

At the first media timeout, 5:16 into the game, the Cyclones had yet to allow a point, but they had only scored two themselves.

“We definitely let them off the hook a bit there,” said guard Curtis Jones.

This scenario should have favored Iowa State’s defensive style of play, which thrives on forcing turnovers. Although the Cyclones forced eight turnovers in the first eight minutes, they couldn’t extend the lead beyond single digits.

ISU shot a poor 25% from the field in the first half.

“At times, I think we settled for bad shots,” Otzelberger said. “It wasn’t that shots weren’t falling; it was more that we weren’t tough enough to get the shots we needed to succeed. We need to get rid of the floating and running and demand the shots we want.”