No. 20 BYU Basketball Dominates No. 24 Iowa State for Second Big 12 Victory
On Tuesday night, no. 20 BYU basketball put together an offensive masterclass in a dominant 87-72 victory over no. 24 Iowa State. Iowa State came into this came ranked second nationally in defensive efficiency according to KenPom. It didn't matter - BYU scored at will throughout the night, hitting 13 threes and shooting 47% from the floor. Whenever Iowa State would gain some momentum, BYU answered with a run and slowly increased their lead throughout the night.
The Cougars looked like the dominant team that they were in non-conference play. With the win, BYU improves to 2-2 in conference play and 14-3 overall.
Spencer Johnson scored a career high 28 points against the Cyclones. Johnson was incredible in the first half, scoring 19 points and helping BYU take a 39-35 lead into the halftime break.
Even though Spencer Johnson scored a career high, Dallin Hall might have been the MVP. Hall was masterful in the way he ran the offense and set up opportunities for his teammates. Hall finished with 11 points on 4/4 shooting, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. Hall looks like a completely different player from the first week of conference play. He looks experienced, mature, and his ability to get into the paint and find the open man gave Iowa State trouble all night. The Cyclones ranked second nationally in steal percentage coming into this game - they are elite at taking away the basketball. Hall only had two turnovers and one came at the end of the game in garbage time.
Noah Waterman played his best game in conference play. Waterman finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. When Waterman is able to hit open threes, it opens up everything for BYU's offense. Waterman was a team-high +19 on the night.
Aly Khalifa, like always, changed the game with his passing ability. Khalifa had 2 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists. His assist total doesn't do his passing ability justice. He had a few hockey assists on Tuesday night that were simply outstanding.
BYU will look to continue its winning streak on Saturday at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are ranked 25th in the AP poll.
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