Takeaways From Cyclones Victory Over Red Raiders in Big 12 Tournament

The Iowa State Cyclones picked up a convincing victory over the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) shoots the ball during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones suffered only one loss during the regular season at Hilton Coliseum to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

They got the opportunity to exact some revenge on the Red Raiders in the 2026 Phillips 66 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament and took full advantage. Iowa State put together another dominant performance, carrying over the positive momentum created from their victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils the prior afternoon.

A 75-53 victory was recorded, which means the Cyclones are advancing to the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament. All of the issues that occurred during the regular season matchup, Iowa State figured out in the rematch.

Let’s take a look at four of the biggest takeaways from the win for the Cyclones.

Joshua Jefferson is back

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) drives to the basket around Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts (3) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Down the stretch of the regular season, some fans were getting frustrated with the level of play of Iowa State’s star forward. Joshua Jefferson was struggling with his efficiency on the offensive end, but that has gone by the wayside in Kansas City.

Jefferson has looked like the Player of the Year candidate that he has been all campaign. Texas Tech had no answer for his physicality and size on the interior en route to 18 points. He also grabbed 13 rebounds, handed out six assists, blocked two shots and recorded one steal.

The only cause for concern was that he shot 2-of-5 from the foul line, and he looked to be battling some sort of knee ailment at points in the second half.

Defense is locked in

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts (3) drives around Iowa State Cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (5) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

As the old saying goes, defense wins championships. The Cyclones have as good a chance as anyone to win the Big 12 championship with how dominant they have been on that end of the court.

After holding Arizona State to 42 points, they held the Red Raiders to 28 points below their regular-season average of 81.3. In the first meeting, Texas Tech was way too comfortable on the offensive end, especially from beyond the arc.

That was not the case in the quarterfinal game. Iowa State held the Red Raiders to 19-of-56 shooting overall and 9-of-29 from 3-point range.

Offense rolls despite Momcilovic's struggles

Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) shoots the ball over Texas Tech Red Raiders forward LeJuan Watts (3) during the second half at T-Mobile Center. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

There were points down the stretch of the regular season when the Cyclones’ offense faltered when Milan Momcilovic wasn’t knocking down shots. Texas Tech deserves credit for slowing him down, holding him to only five points and 1-of-6 from 3-point range.

However, his teammates stepped up. Tamin Lipsey had a game-high 20 points scored, making 4-of-7 from long range. Blake Buchanan had nine points, making all three of his free throw attempts.

Off the bench, Dominkyas Pleta had 11 points and Jamarion Batemon added eight. Iowa State players not named Momcilovic combined to shoot an impressive 6-of-12 from 3-point range.

Improving NCAA tournament seeding

Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball head coach T.J. Otzelberger watches the game from the bench during the second half in the Big-12 conference men’s basketball against Texas Tech on Feb. 28, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Heading into the Big 12 tournament, the Cyclones were a No. 3 seed in Bracketology projections. There was work to be done to move up, and thus far, they have certainly made a strong case to be a No. 2 seed.

Beating a team as highly regarded as the Red Raiders, who are a projected No. 4 seed, is a marquee win for the resume. The win also sets Iowa State up for a potential rematch with the Arizona Wildcats in the semifinals if they handle business against the UCF Knights.