Iowa State survives at Texas Tech with thrilling OT victory, 85-84

The Iowa State men survived a wild game at Texas Tech Saturday, 85-84.
Joshua Jefferson sent the contest to overtime with a buzzer-beater and made the game-tying and game-winning free throw shots with just four seconds left.
Had it all the way. 😏#Cyclones | #C5C pic.twitter.com/s91fckFEXZ
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 11, 2025
Darrion Williams attempted a runner at the buzzer for the Red Raiders, but it bounced off the back of the rim, sending the third-ranked Cyclones to an 11th consecutive win.
Jefferson was the savior on the day, scoring six of Iowa State’s (13-1) 11 points in the extra session. He finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, as Curtis Jones scored 26 and Tamin Lipsey added 14.
J Jeff sends us to overtime for the first time this year.#Cyclones | #C5C | @Joshua_LV0 pic.twitter.com/OIS13j1bKY
— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 11, 2025
For Texas Tech (11-3), Chance McMillian, Christian Anderson and JT Toppin all scored 18. The Red Raiders built a 13-point lead vs. the Cyclones, who have a big week against ranked Big 12 Conference rivals Kansas and West Virginia on the horizon.
It appeared as if they might have been overlooking Texas Tech, a rough place to play out in Lubbock, Texas. But the experience of this unit came through, never faltering and rising to the occasion.
Iowa State finished shooting 53 percent from the field with six made 3-pointers. They dominated inside the paint, outscoring Texas Tech 50-34, and also were plus-17 on fast-break points.
But the Red Raiders controlled the glass, including a 16-9 advantage on the offensive end. Both teams committed 15 turnovers, with ISU scoring 19 off those mistakes.
The majority of the second half was a back-and-forth affair, with Texas Tech taking a four-point lead late. Keshon Gilbert had a layup with 13 seconds left and McMillian went 1 of 2 at the charity stripe with six seconds left.
From there, the Cyclones sprinted down the court after the second made free throw, with Lipsey finding Jefferson for the game-tying bucket.
Jones started overtime with a 3-pointer off an assist from Jefferson, but the Red Raiders answered with seven-straight points to take an 81-77 lead. Gilbert made two free throws and Jefferson scored the final six points of the game for Iowa State.