‘We will play for him.’ 3 takeaways from Iowa State’s win without Joshua Jefferson
It was next-man-up for Iowa State basketball, which rallied after Joshua Jefferson's injury to steamroll Tennessee State in the NCAA first round.
ST. LOUIS — Iowa State was on a 23-0 run early in the first half, as it poured it on 15-seed Tennessee State during the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. However, Cyclone fans had their mind running elsewhere.
With All-American Joshua Jefferson sustaining an ankle injury in the first few minutes of the game, concern was mounting. Jefferson never returned to the game, but he did return to the bench as a spectator in a boot midway through the second half. On the court, the second-seeded Cyclones rallied in Jefferson's absence and enjoyed an 108-74 win over Tennessee State at the Enterprise Center on Friday, March 20.
The Cyclones' 108 points are a program record for most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game, surpassing the previous high of 98 points against Kentucky in 1998. They also held a 55-29 halftime lead, setting another team record for most points in the first half of an NCAA Tournament game. Iowa State led by as much as 38 points in the win.
Killyan Toure had a 25-point, 11-rebound double-double, with six assists and six turnovers. Nate Heise added 22 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench. Milan Momcilovic had 17 points and two blocks.
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