Cyclones outlast Wildcats, advance in PKI to face UNC
PORTLAND, Ore. – Iowa State (4-0) needed five 3-pointers from Gabe Kalscheur to seal an 81-79 overtime victory over the Villanova Wildcats (2-3) on Thursday afternoon in the first round of the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Oregon.
In the first half, Iowa State's bench production and defense were the difference. The Cyclone bench outscored Villanova's 19-3 while forcing 10 Wildcat turnovers in the first 20 minutes of action.
Osun Osunniyi, Gabe Kalscheur and Robert Jones contributed 23 of Iowa State's 34 first half points.
Iowa State began the second half with a 17-1 run before Vilanova would claw its way back to tie the game at 67 and force overtime.
In overtime, Caleb Grill and Gabe Kalschuer added 3-pointers while Osun Osunniyi and Tamin Lipsey would chip in on the block and from the free throw line to secure the victory.
How it HappenedVillanova jumped out to a 17-9 lead in the first half, assisted by an early 11-0 run. The Wildcats eight point lead would be their largest before the Cyclones battled back. Iowa State pieced together its own 10-0 run and regained the lead at 19-17.
Villanova and Iowa State would battle back and forth for the final 10 minutes of the first half. The Cyclones and Wildcats were tied at 34 at halftime.
In the first six minutes of the second half, Iowa State jumped out to a 51-35 lead after a 17-1 run that was fueled by 3-pointers from Aljaž Kunc and Gabe Kalscheur.
Villanova would quickly respond with their own 9-0 run to cut the ISU lead to six with just over 12 minutes left to play.
Iowa State would lead the Wildcats for the entirety of the second half until a pair of Villanova free throws with 10 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 67. Iowa State missed the final shot of regulation.
In overtime, ISU would hold a lead for the entire five minutes. Caleb Grill hit his first 3-pointer of the game in the first possession of overtime to give the Cyclones a 70-67 lead. Gabe Kalscheur added five points in overtime before picking up his fifth foul. Osun Osunniyi and Tamin Lipsey chipped in a bucket and a pair of free throws in the final minute to secure the Cyclone victory.
Top Performance: The Cyclones were led by Gabe Kalscheur. Kalscheur hit five 3-pointers and led ISU with 23 points.
Up Next: Iowa State will face No. 1 North Carolina in the second round of the Phil Knight Invitational on Friday, Nov. 25 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon at 12:30 p.m.
