The No. 3 seed in the South Region Iowa State Cyclones(24-9) are gearing up to face No. 14 seed Lipscomb Bisons(25-9) in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament. The game will take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Friday afternoon.
The Cyclones lost in the Sweet Sixteen last season. Lipscomb made the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history. They are looking for their first tournament win in school history. Will the Bisons be able to play Iowa State close?
Iowa State Season Summary
The Cyclones were mediocre during the regular season in the Big 12. They lost a close game in the Big 12 Quarterfinals to BYU. Even though Iowa State is entering the 1st Round off a loss, they should feel like a confident team. They have been helped by one of the nation’s best offenses. They are 36th in points scored, 33rd in field goal percentage, and 78th in three-point percentage.
Their defense has also been strong. They are 63rd in points allowed, 63rd in opposing field goal percentage, and 156th in opposing three-point percentage. Iowa State Guard Curtis Jones leads the team in scoring. He scored 32 points in the loss against BYU.
Lipscomb Season Summary
The Bisons had a great season in the Atlantic Sun Conference and survived in the conference tournament to get their dancing shoes on. Lipscomb has a potent offense. They are 52nd in points scored, 49th in field goal percentage, and 74th in three-point percentage.
Lipscomb also has a stellar defense. They are 52nd in points allowed, 89th in opposing field goal percentage, and 32nd in opposing three-point percentage. Forward Jacob Ognacevic is one of the nation’s best scorers and will test Texas Tech’s defense. He must be at his best for the Bisons to pull off a massive upset.
Final Thoughts
These teams are fairly even on paper, but this game will not be played there. Iowa State’s biggest advantage comes in the quality of its opponents. The Cyclones are 16-9 against Quad 1 and 2 teams. Lipscomb is 1-4 against those teams this season. The Bisons have a tremendous offense that will need to be the story of the game come Friday afternoon. Scoring will be Lipscomb’s path to victory. This contest should be closer than many 3/14 games in recent tournaments.
