No. 5 Cyclones Fall to No. 4 Auburn in Final Seconds

No. 5 Cyclones Fall to No. 4 Auburn in Final Seconds

MAUI, Hawai’i – No. 5 Iowa State (3-1, 0-0 Massive 12) suffered its first setback of the 2024-25 season Monday night, falling to the fourth-ranked Auburn Tigers (5-0, 0-0 SEC) within the remaining seconds of the Maui Invitational, 83-81.

The event’s first-ever first-round matchup between two top-five, not to mention top-ten, groups lived as much as the billing, as the 2 groups traded blows all night time earlier than an Auburn tip-in rebound with 1.2 seconds left on the board gave the Tigers the two-point victory.

Keshon Gilbert led the cost for the fifth-ranked Cyclones, because the senior tallied a game-high 23 factors, going 8-10 from the sector and 6-7 from the road, to pair with two assists and a steal. Curtis Jones (14), Dishon Jackson (13) and Milan Momcilovic (12) joined Gilbert in double figures because the Cyclones misplaced for simply the second time ever below Coach Otzelberger when 4 or extra gamers scored in double figures. Joshua Jefferson completed with 9 factors and eight boards, a team-high, as he knocked down his first two 3-pointers of the season.

Iowa State shot 47 p.c from the sector and 39 p.c from deep, burying 7-18 from past the arc, and likewise shot properly from the charity stripe, cashing in 24-29 freebies.

For Auburn, preseason All-American Johni Broome had a team-best 21 factors, together with the 2 that mattered most, as he tipped within the game-winning shot within the remaining seconds. Broome completed with a double-double (21 factors and 10 boards), whereas 4 different Tigers completed with double-figure totals.

Regardless of being outscored within the paint and in transition, Auburn owned the glass, pulling in eight extra rebounds than the Cyclones and incomes 12 second-chance factors with probably the most crucial one being Broome’s tip-in.

The way it Occurred
The Cyclones got here out of the gates firing, punching first towards the fourth-ranked Tigers and taking a 9-4 lead into the primary media timeout. Auburn responded although, trimming the ISU lead again down to 2 with 12:07 remaining off a Broome paint contact.

Jefferson buried his second 3-pointer of the half, placing ISU again up by 5, because the Cyclones and Tigers made it to the second break of the stanza. Iowa State got here again to the court docket throwing haymakers, rattling off a 10-0 run that featured a Lipsey lay-in, a pair of free throws from Jones, after which triples from each Jones and Momcilovic, forcing Auburn coach Bruce Pearl to name timeout. ISU would maintain a double-digit lead over Auburn from the 8:54 mark of the primary half till the 16:03 mark of the second half.

The Cyclones went into the lead with a 16-point cushion, driving a 6-0 stretch to finish the half. On the break, Gilbert led ISU with ten factors, whereas Jefferson had 9 and each Momcilovic and Jackson had seven factors.

As the 2 squads retook the court docket, Auburn seemed like a special workforce, as its depth was ratcheted up. The Tigers compelled turnovers and buckled down on protection, forcing ISU to an 0-7 begin to the interval.

Throughout ISU’s chilly streak, Auburn heated up, connecting on 6-7 pictures and pulling inside three. The Tigers tied issues up at 53-all on the 13:51 mark, erasing what was an 18-point ISU lead, and forcing a model new ballgame.

Down the stretch of the second half, both sides battled foul hassle and traded baskets as neither facet was in a position to achieve momentum to tug away. ISU fed Gilbert, whereas Auburn fed Broome, and the 2 groups continued to maintain it tight.

With the 2 groups tied at 79 with a bit of below a minute left, Gilbert buried a pair of free throws to place the Cyclones up two. An important back-cut and move from Auburn arrange a layup to tie issues at 38 seconds. ISU referred to as its remaining timeout and drew up a play for the white-hot Gilbert who was stripped, and Auburn ran the opposite means. Denver Jones would miss a layup with two seconds left, however Broome’s tip-in sealed the deal, handing ISU its first loss.

Key Performers
Regardless of the loss, each Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones had milestone nights, as the 2 every eclipsed the 1,000-point mark on their profession.

Notes

  • Dishon Jackson went over 700 profession factors.
  • Joshua Jefferson began in his thirtieth profession sport.
    • He additionally went over 1,000 profession minutes performed.
  • Curtis Jones performed in his one hundredth collegiate sport at the moment.
    • He has now made 351 discipline objectives, hitting quantity 350 towards Auburn.
    • Now has 1,000 profession factors.
  • Keshon Gilbert cashed his 325th profession discipline aim on the night.
    • Now has 1,000 profession factors.
  • Brandton Chatfield made his 275th profession discipline aim.

Up Subsequent
The Cyclones will face the loser of No. 12 North Carolina and Dayton within the comfort spherical of the Maui Invitational tomorrow, November 26. Tomorrow’s matchup will tip off at 7:30 p.m. and will likely be broadcast on ESPNU.