Road Woes Continue for Iowa State Cyclones Against BYU Cougars

Are bad road performances a reason to be concerned for the Iowa State Cyclones?

Feb 21, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger looks on during the second half against the BYU Cougars at Marriott Center. | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones came into another big matchup on Saturday night with a lot of momentum, but a road game against the BYU Cougars proved to be a major challenge. 

Following wins against the Kansas Jayhawks and Houston Cougars, the Cyclones were able to improve their resume quite a bit and were being considered as a potential one-seed. This is a team that has had a ton of success, but one major issue for them has been playing on the road. 

Heading into the matchup against BYU, they knew that this game would be a tough one. Provo is one of the toughest places in the country to play, and Iowa State didn’t get off to a strong start in this one. 

In the first half, the Cyclones struggled in the turnover category a bit and on the glass. Winning both of these areas is usually a strength for the team, but that was not the case in this one. As expected, with some struggles in those areas, Iowa State was trailing at halftime in this one. 

Road Woes Continue

BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Unfortunately, things did not improve for the Cyclones in the second half of this one. A lot of credit has to go to BYU, which was aggressive on the offensive glass. The Iowa State defense played very well at times, but it wasn’t finishing off possessions by getting rebounds. 

It was a bit shocking to see the Cyclones get doubled up on the offensive glass, but that ended up being the case. Giving a good team like the Cougars extra opportunities was a recipe for disaster. 

As expected, AJ Dybantsa was fantastic in the game and was able to do a little bit of everything to help the team win. The star freshman totaled 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, coming up just short of a triple-double. 

While Tamin Lipsey was able to have a strong game, the defensive game plan that BYU used against Milan Momcilovic was impressive. They were largely able to take him completely out of the mix, as he finished with just five points. 

Following the two fantastic wins, this was another disappointing performance on the road for the Cyclones. As a team that was being considered for the one-line in March Madness, a fourth road loss is a major issue for their resume. Next up for Iowa State will be their penultimate road game against the Utah Utes.