Tamin Lipsey scored 15 points and Iowa State reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons with a 67-56 victory over Washington State on Saturday in East Region second-round play at Omaha, Neb.
Curtis Jones added 14 points for the second-seeded Cyclones (29-7), who won for the ninth time in their past 10 games. Keshon Gilbert and Milan Momcilovic added 10 points apiece for Iowa State.
Jaylen Wells scored 20 points for seventh-seeded Washington State (25-10). Myles Rice added 13 points for the Cougars.
The Cyclones will face either No. 3 Illinois or No. 11 Duquesne in the Sweet 16.
Iowa State outscored Washington State 40-29 in the second half after a sluggish start to the game.
The Cyclones shot 40.4 percent from the field, including 7 of 14 from 3-point range. Iowa State had a 21-4 edge in points off turnovers.
Washington State connected on 43.1 percent of its shots and was a shaky 5 of 23 from behind the arc.
Iowa State scored the first six points of the second half with Tre King’s layup giving the Cyclones a 33-27 lead.
The Cougars answered with an 8-3 run to move within 36-35 on a jumper by Rice with 13:47 remaining.
Iowa State then scored nine of the next 11 points. Lipsey, Jones and Momcilovic all made treys as the Cyclones led 45-37 with 11:26 left.
Momcilovic knocked down another trey to give Iowa State a 51-44 lead with eight minutes remaining. A short time later, Lipsey drained a 3-pointer and King hit a jumper to make it 56-46 with 6:48 left to play.
Robert Jones’ dunk with 26.8 seconds made it a 14-point margin as the Cyclones closed it out.
Wells had 16 first-half points and the Cougars led most of the way before heading into the break in a tie at 27.
Iowa State missed its first nine shots and 13 of 14 over the first eight-plus minutes as Washington State took an 11-4 lead. Yet the Cyclones soon went on an 11-2 run and took a 17-16 lead on two free throws by Gilbert with 5:36 left in the half.
The Cougars held a 25-19 advantage after Wells’ jumper with three minutes left before Iowa State closed the half with an 8-2 run.
–Field Level Media