"They just played well and looked like maybe the best team in the country tonight."
Mackey Arena- Flipping the script from my last piece about Matt Campbell; today I write about Saturday afternoon when the Cyclone men’s basketball team decimated the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers. Iowa State was able to capitalize on some incredible accuracy from downtown by making 48% of their three-point shots en route to a convincing 81-58 win.
Iowa State Finding Success
No. 10 Iowa State (9-0) has picked right back from where it left off a year ago. Coming off of a disappointing upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, this year’s team appears hungrier and even more talented. Leading the charge Saturday against the Boilermakers were Milan Momcilovic, Blake Buchanan, Killyan Toure, and Joshua Jefferson; all of whom scored in double figures. Savvy veteran point guard Tamin Lispey was in theme with the Christmas season by delivering nine gifts to his teammates in the form of assists. As great as the offensive performance was for the Cyclones it was their defensive effort that was even more impressive. The ISU defense didn’t just contain the ninth most efficient offense in America but completely took them out of their own game. Purdue, a team who is usually a highly efficient team, shot 41% from the field, 22% from three, and 43% from the charity stripe. Shooting like that is never a recipe for success, but that’s a testament to the way the Cyclones scrapped and clawed.
Purdue Faces Adversity
For No. 1 Purdue (8-1) This game was the first time all year they have been challenged. The Boilermakers have pretty much led wire to wire in just about every game this season until Saturday. As earlier stated, they are usually a terrific offense but that was not the case this weekend. They struggled to get good looks and when they were able to get open shots, they were unable to make them. They struggled with turnovers as well, committing 15. However, I feel that this wake-up call was needed for the black and gold as they were coasting through their early stretch of play. It’s good for them to have a game like this now instead of in the heat of the Big 10 or in March. Purdue coach Matt Painter postgame said, “They just played well and looked like maybe the best team in the country tonight, but we got teams in this league that are just as good as these guys. We’re gonna have other opportunities, we just gotta be able to respond. Most importantly respond on Wednesday. Our next game.”
Up-Next
Iowa State as Coach Painter stated has played and looked like one of the most complete teams in the country. They have already had some statement wins against St. John’s and the aforementioned Boilermakers. They’ll look to continue with this momentum in their next game against their rivals the Iowa Hawkeyes December 11th at home.
As for Purdue they will look to get back to their winning ways at home on Wednesday against a struggling Minnesota squad.
Key Stat
Iowa State made 48% of their three-point shots.
Final Score
Iowa State 81, Purdue 58
