Iowa State Basketball: Grades Against Oklahoma State

Iowa State basketball blew another lead on the road, only this time the team performed much better than their previous outing against Texas Tech in Lubbock. The offense did enough to win the game, but ultimately mistakes turning the ball over and always letting Oklahoma State back in it hurt them in the end. The Cyclones ended up losing the game 78-76 and now have a 4-3 record in the conference, 14-6 overall.

Jan. 30, 2013; Stillwater, OK, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Korie Lucious and forward Georges Niang (31) walk off the court after a loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Oklahoma State won 78-76. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo J. Adams-USA TODAY Sports

Offense: B

That was miles improved from the game against Texas Tech, which proves to be just an unfortunate outlier in a fantastic offensive resume for the Cyclones. They shot over 50 percent from the field, even went 13-24 from 3-point range, which should have been more than enough to win the game. Why wasn’t it? The team turned the ball over 17 times.

Defense: C-

Give credit to the defense holding their own with all the turnovers, Oklahoma State got off nine more shots than Iowa State but were held to a slightly lower 47.5 percent from the field. Still, when the Cyclones were able to stretch the lead out to five, seven, or nine points, the Cowboys always answered and got the crowd that actually showed up into it.

Reviewing Keys to the Game

• Take advantage of 3-point shooting on the road. A+++, shooting over 50 percent from the perimeter on the road is the best you can ask for.
• Score early and set the tone. C, they definitely scored early and had a 10-4 advantage early on. They even came out of the gate in the second half on a nice run. But they could never sustain it.
• Avoid foul trouble with Melvin Ejim and Georges Niang. F-, both players suffered four fouls in the game, potentially impacting their play so they wouldn’t foul out.
• Don’t foul Smart, Brown, or Nash. B-, all three players went to the line and completed 8-13 free throws combined.
• Korie Lucious needs to win assist-turnover ratio. A, Lucious had seven assists to his three turnovers. It’s become a trend where you just expect Lucious to have about three turnovers a night, but if he can distribute the ball that well more often the Cyclones will be in better shape.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor of Clones Confidential. Get more Cyclones coverage by following us on Twitter.