Final stats, analysis: No. 3 Iowa State rebounds with 108-point effort

For the first time in a long time, we are going to see how the Iowa State men rebound from a loss.

The third-ranked Cyclones take on UCF inside Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa Tuesday night, just a few days removed from a road loss to West Virginia.

The ESPN BPI gives the Cyclones a 92.2 percent chance to win.

Check out our live updates and in-game analysis of Iowa State vs. UCF below:

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Final Stats, Analysis

Final score: Iowa State 108, UCF 83

Joshua Jefferson had himself a career-night, scoring 30 points as third-ranked Iowa State bounced back with a 108-83 victory over UCF.

Jefferson led the way for the Cyclones (16-2, 6-1), who were coming off a loss to West Virginia this past weekend. Keshon Gilbert added 21 points and eight assists while Curtis Jones scored 19.

Iowa State had not scored 100-plus since early in December when they rolled past Jackson State, 100-58. They came into the night averaging almost 84 points per game.

Jefferson was 9 of 14 from the field and knocked down three 3-pointers, becoming the first Cyclone to hit 30 points on the year. He also had four of Iowa State’s 16 team steals.

Demarion Watson had 11 points off the bench, hitting all three of his field goal attempts.

UCF (12-6, 3-4) was paced by Jordan Ivy-Curry, as he knocked down six triples and finished with 24 points. Keyshawn Hall joined him in double figures with 13.

The Cyclones head to Arizona State on Saturday.

Halftime Stats, Analysis

Iowa State 54, UCF 36

Following that tough shooting performance vs. West Virginia, the Cyclones have found their rhythm. The 3-point shooting has been there, with multiple Iowa State players sink shotgs from deep. Joshua Jefferson is providing the spark needed with Keshon Gilbert and Curtis Jones joining him in double figures.

With a shortened bench, DeMarion Watson has stepped up, providing both scoring and rebounding.

UCF has stayed within shouting distance thanks to the long-range shooting of Jordan Ivy-Curry.

Live Pregame Updates

The Cyclones enter averaging almost 84 points per game while allowing just 65. UCF, meanwhile, averages 79 points and surrenders over 77 a night, meaning this could be a perfect bounce-back situation for Iowa State after struggling to score vs. West Virginia.

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— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 21, 2025