Iowa State Cyclones Star Makes Program History in Loss to BYU Cougars

The Iowa State Cyclones faced off with the BYU Cougars on the road, and while the result wasn’t what they wanted, a star player did make some history for the program.

Coming into their matchup against the Cougars, the Cyclones were trying to prove that they indeed could win a big game on the road in conference play following two statement wins in their previous two games at home.

BYU was a team that just recently lost one of their key players in Richie Saunders to a torn ACL for the rest of the season. However, this is a program that has one of the best players in the country in AJ Dybantsa and also one of the best home court advantages in the country.

Both proved to be too much for the Cyclones to handle in this one, and they suffered their fourth loss of the season. Even though it was a disappointing performance, their star point guard was able to make program history. Tamin Lipsey, after the tip-off, became the new leader for the program with 127 starts.

Lipsey Cementing Himself as Program Legend

127 Starts

More Than Anyone in Program History#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/lxEFURywJA
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) February 22, 2026

The four-year starter has been one of the best players to ever play for the program, and his taking over as the player with the most starts is very fitting of who he is. Lipsey is one of the hardest workers on the team and a great leader. He is no stranger to diving on the floor and is always hustling. Those traits usually don’t pair well with being able to stay healthy, but Lipsey is a different player.

In his record-breaking start, he was able to have a strong performance. While he would have undoubtedly liked to see the team win the game, he did play well. In the loss, he totaled 19 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

Overall, this year, the senior has played really well, averaging 13.3 points, 5.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. As a native of Ames, Iowa, being the leader in starts for the program certainly means a ton to him, and he is going to go down as one of the best players in program history.

While he might not be a superstar player, he has been extremely consistent since coming in and starting as a freshman. Now, he will be trying to help lead the team to a Final Four and cement his legacy as an all-time great.