Iowa State men's basketball answers Villanova's grit to earn date with No. 1 North Carolina
PORTLAND, Ore. – Villanova just kept coming. Iowa State kept answering.
In the end, a game the Cyclones briefly looked liked they’d win comfortably Thursday afternoon took every ounce of their grit, poise and playmaking to pull off, 81-79, in overtime in the first round of the Phil Knight Invitational tournament.
For passing their first big test of the season, they’ll immediately get another — a date with No. 1-ranked North Carolina at 4:30 p.m. CT on Friday in the semifinals of their side of the PK85 bracket.
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger hadn’t had a moment to think about the Tar Heels on Thursday. But the win over Villanova told him a lot about the team he has and the squad he’ll take into that game.
“There's just tremendous heart,” Otzelberger said after his team moved to 4-0. “A lot of guys contributed to a big win and we counted on them.”
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If you had to choose determining a play or sequence in the Cyclones’ win over Villanova, it might be center Osun Ossuniyi’s bucket in the post to put Iowa State ahead 77-74 in the final minute of overtime and then his blocked shot on the other end. But you could also choose Gabe Kalscheur’s 3-pointer for a 75-72 lead just before fouling out midway through the overtime. Or the four free throws from freshman Tamin Lipsey in the final 20 seconds, giving the Cyclones just enough points.
Kalscheur also suggested Jaz Kunc’s 3-pointer early in the second half. Kunc had banged his elbow on the floor on the previous defensive possession and was still holding it and shaking it out when he caught the pass and, without hesitation, buried a shot from the right side.
That 3-pointer triggered a 17-1 Iowa State run to begin the second half. At that point, with 15 minutes left, the game looked just about settled. But Villanova (2-3), which stormed back from 16 points down at Michigan State last Friday and lost by two, showed all of its sweat equity again, riding forward Eric Dixon (21 points, 10 rebounds) and Caleb Daniels (25 points, seven assists) to pull even at the end of regulation.
“We've got a lot of respect for their program,” Otzelberger said. “They went smaller, tried to spread us out a little bit more, relied heavily on the 3-point shot. … You don't win as many games as a program as Villanova's won and not keep competing and fighting. Those guys have an unbelievable spirit. They're competitors. We didn't take anything for granted. We knew we were going to have to stay locked in, in the moment and we were fortunate to make just enough plays to come out with the win.”
Iowa State led 67-60 with 1:35 left in regulation and had to regroup in overtime. Kalscheur said the Cyclones learned a little something about themselves down the stretch and in the extra five minutes.
“Just that we are gritty, that we're hard-nosed and that we won't give up,” he said. “We work together, too. When things go wrong or go sideways, we just continue to come together.”
Kalscheur was a big part of that before fouling out, with 23 points off the bench on 8-of-19 shooting (5-of-15 3s) in 35 minutes. The Cyclones’ bench outscored the Wildcats 37-6. Osunniyi’s 17 points (on 8-of-10 shooting) and work in the post helped Iowa State outscore Villanova 40-16 in the paint.
“We threw some punches at them,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said. “To their credit, they had a lot of resolve. Very well-coached. (They’re) extremely disciplined and just really, really play hard.”
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball beats Villanova in OT, will play North Carolina
