KANSAS CITY — Just when Cincinnati appeared to be turning the corner after a putrid-shooting first half, Iowa State basketball squashed the Bearcats’ momentum.
The fifth-seeded Cyclones led the entire way and won, 76-56, in wire-to-wire fashion over the 13th-seeded Bearcats on Wednesday in the Big 12 Tournament.
Iowa State had once led by double figures before Cincinnati quietly and quickly chipped away at the deficit early in the second half.
An 11-2 Bearcat run that was capped off by a Dillon Mitchell dunk made it 43-40, with 14:32 left in the game. It was the first time it was a one-possession contest since the opening minutes of the first half.
That would be the closest the Bearcats would get, but they hung tough for a significant portion of the game.
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The Cyclones quickly responded with a 6-0 run to re-extend their lead before pushing the margin back into double figures.
There was a scare in the closing minutes of the game. Tamin Lipsey left the game and went straight to the locker room with what appeared to be a lower body injury. He had 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including a 3-for-5 clip from long range. He also had three assists and two steals.
However, after the game, head coach T.J. Otzelberger said he believes Lipsey will not miss any time.
“With Tamin, sounds like something with his groin- he tweaked it, but I think, I thin for sure he’ll be fine and he’ll be good to go tomorrow,” Otzelberger said.
More: Tamin Lipsey injury update: Iowa State basketball guard hurt vs. Cincinnati
Joshua Jefferson led the Cyclones with 19 points, eight boards, five assists and three steals.
Milan Momcilovic added 13 points and had six turnovers. Dishon Jackson had a 10-point, 15-rebound double-double.
Keshon Gilbert made his return after missing the regular-season finale win at Kansas State. Gilbert was limited to 11 minutes off the bench, all in the first half. He had three points on 1-of-2 shooting.
In one of its most efficient shooting performances this season, Iowa State shot 29-of-54 (53.7%) and 10-of-21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.
The Cyclones also dominated on the glass against the Bearcats, outrebounding them 41-23. They also had 11 offensive boards, which turned into 15 second-chance points.
After both teams didn’t sink a single shot over the first two minutes of the game, Iowa State got going and opened on a 12-2 run to start the scoring. Gilbert drilled a 3-pointer to cap off the run with 14:51 remaining.
Cincinnati struggled to gain traction offensively, in part due to Iowa State’s defense, but it also wasn’t sinking open shots. The Bearcats shot just 29.6% in the first half of the game.
Turnovers prevented the Cyclones from taking a massive lead early, with 10 of their 17 turnovers coming in the first half.
Cincinnati’s Jizzle James made a couple of 3-pointers just before the break, trimming the Cyclones’ lead down to 33-24 at half.
James had 17 points to lead the Bearcats, but he wasn’t as efficient compared to their Feb. 15 trip to Hilton Coliseum. James shot 6-of-20. Josh Reed finished with 10 points. Day Day Thomas had nine points, four assists and four steals.
The Cyclones advance to Thursday’s Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals, where they will play the fourth-seeded BYU Cougars.
The Cougars will be well-rested after a double-bye as one of the top-four seeds. Iowa State and BYU only met once this season, when the Cougars spoiled the Cyclones’ senior night with an 88-85 double-overtime win at Hilton Coliseum. The Iowa State-BYU game will tip-off at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
