Iowa State had a few days off to stew over its recent failure. The Cyclones again blew a lead and faltered down the stretch losing its second consecutive game, a disappointing 81-76 home loss to West Virginia on Tuesday. They’ll try to end the slide with a visit to Stillwater on Saturday.
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HOW THE IOWA STATE CYCLONES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Knowing why you lost is one thing. Doing something about it is another. Following a couple of losses where Iowa State folded at the end of the game, forward Georges Niang said the Cyclones got “out-toughed.” The 13th-ranked Cyclones dropped their second home game of the Big 12 season as they blew a 15-point lead and stumbled at the end in an 81-76 loss to West Virginia on Tuesday.
Iowa State’s usually efficient offense was stifled down the stretch by Texas AM in its previous game. The Cyclones were outscored 16-4 over the final 4:04 and were held to 43.3 percent shooting, well below their season average.
Monte Morris and Niang must become finishers for the Cyclones in order to get them out of their slump. The leaders watched the team wilt down the stretch and didn’t do anything about it. Of course, some bad bounces stood out as well, but Iowa State’s inability to make a clutch hoop to stem the tide at the end proved costly.
As Morris said, “we’ve just got to finish. We finished before.” To do that, the Cyclones have to play a little tougher when the game is on the line.
HOW THE OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Oklahoma State ranks second the Big 12 in scoring defense but has allowed a 77-point average in its six league losses. Simply stated, when the Cowboys play defense, their chances of winning drastically improve. So containing the duo of Niang and Morris should be crucial in game-planning for Iowa State.
The Cowboys have the Big 12’s top scoring freshman in Jawun Evans, who pours in 16.3 points per game in Big 12 play, which is tied for sixth. He also dishes out 5.1 assists per game, which is tops in the country among freshmen. Evans is a dynamic guard who can break down defenses off the dribble and often finds the open man. If he’s on his game, like the 42-point explosion in a two-point loss to Oklahoma on Jan. 13, the Cyclones could be powerless to stop him.
Under coach Travis Ford the Cowboys have typically been more competitive in close games. That hasn’t been the case this season. Their 69-65 loss to Baylor last week dropped them to 2-6 in games decided by five points or fewer or in overtime. It’s why OSU rests near the bottom of the league standings rather than on the tournament bubble.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Cowboys have found an inside presence to complement Evans. Senior forward Chris Olivier has stepped up the past few games scoring 33 points combined against Baylor and Auburn to raise his season average to 9.2 points. Along with Leyton Hammonds and Jeff Newberry, Iowa State now has several weapons to take the burden off Evans, who averages 13.0 points, 5.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Defending the Cyclones could be more difficult, however. Iowa State will turn to conference Player of the Year hopeful Niang to try and end its slide. Niang scored 20 points but committed eight turnovers in a disappointing loss to West Virginia on Tuesday. Taking care of the basketball will be a key for the Cyclones as their 16 turnovers were critical in the defeat. Get the ball in Morris’ hands and leave it there throughout possessions. Morris had 10 assists against the Mountaineers and did not turn the ball over. Allowing him to take over the game makes Iowa State more successful.
Iowa State 78, Oklahoma State 73
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