No. 3 Iowa State repels challenge from Colorado

Field Level Media|published: Mon 30th December, 23:52 2024

Dec 30, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Brandton Chatfield (33) and Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak (8) reach for a loose ball in the first half at CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Curtis Jones scored 20 points, Keshon Gilbert added 14 points, and No. 3 Iowa State held on for a 79-69 win over Colorado on Monday night in Boulder, Colo., in the Big 12 opener for both teams.

Joshua Jefferson finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and eight steals for Iowa State (11-1, 1-0 Big 12), which won its eighth game in a row. Tamin Lipsey had 10 points and Brandton Chatfield finished with nine.

Julian Hammond III scored 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting to lead Colorado (9-3, 0-1). RJ Smith finished with 14 points and Javon Ruffin scored nine as the Buffaloes fell to 8-1 at home.

Iowa State shot 42.6 percent (29 of 68) from the field and 22.2 percent (4 of 18) from 3-point range. Colorado hit 49.1 percent (28 of 57) overall and 31.8 percent (7 of 22) from beyond the arc but committed 19 turnovers to the Cyclones' nine.

At the free-throw line, the Cyclones shot 77.3 percent (17 of 22). The Buffaloes shot 75 percent (6 of 8).

Colorado led 57-56 with 9:17 remaining after a layup by Assane Diop.

Iowa State scored 23 of the final 35 points to secure the victory. That included an 8-0 run in which the Cyclones transformed a 71-67 edge into a 12-point lead with 22 seconds left.

Jones made four consecutive free throws to finish the late run. Lipsey added a layup and Chatfield made a jump shot during the surge.

Dishon Jackson made a dunk to put the Cyclones on top 43-31 with 18:14 remaining. The dunk provided a punctuation mark to six straight points by Jackson, who also made a jumper and two free throws to open the second half.

Colorado rallied with an 8-0 run to cut its deficit to 43-39 with 16 minutes to go. That sequence included back-to-back 3-pointers by Smith and a dunk by Elijah Malone.

Iowa State led 37-31 at the half.

Malone made a layup to bring Colorado within 34-31 with 19 seconds left.

Jones answered by sinking a 3-pointer with two seconds remaining to give Iowa State a six-point edge at the break -- the largest lead for either team in the first half.

--Field Level Media

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