Keshon Gilbert is Iowa State’s All-American. Curtis Jones is the nation’s top sixth player. Guards, they combined for 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 6-of-13 three-point shooting during their big Cy-Hawk basketball victory Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Joshua Jefferson darn near had a triple-double – with 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
But you know what? The Cyclones don’t win in Iowa City for the first time since Georges blew the kiss in 2014, without Tamin Lipsey.
Eleven points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and one big play after another during a second half in which Cy outscored Hawk by 16. And did I mention that the former Ames High School super star had ZERO turnovers in 33 minutes? On the road. During a game that included times with floor scrums resembled mosh pits.
In his own way, the Head Band was the Head Clone. He was the glue of a third-ranked team that’s 8-1 going into semester exams.
And Thursday night, T.J. Otzelberger’s Final Four and more-caliber team needed every bit of him during a game in which Iowa State trailed by 13 in the first half, by nine with 12 minutes remaining – and was tied at 72 on a Head Band 3-pointer with 5 minutes left.
"He's somewhat of a superhero to me," Otzelberger told reporters. "He finds ways, in adverse situations and challenges, to still perform at an extremely high level.”
Otz said that during the week – a few days before his superhero’s super Thursday:
** Chased a loose ball back to halfcourt, and in one motion, dove then passed to Jones for a 3-pointer with 11 ½ to play. He turned his ankle on the play, yet stayed in the game.
“That was bigger than any shot he hit,” Jones told reporters afterwards. “He was getting every 50-50 ball. The offensive rebounds and tip-outs that we got points out of those . . . . “
** Made a 3-pointer that pulled Iowa State within a point with 6:54 to play.
** Swished his third trey of the Cyclones’ 52-point second half, this one resulting in a 72-all score with 5:12 remaining.
** Tallied a big-time second half consisting of all 11 of his points (on 4-of-6 shooting after the break), three rebounds, two assists and a steal.
And don’t forget, he was playing on bad ankle and with a sore wing that underwent surgery during the last off-season.
“He was the reason we won the second half,” Nate Heise said. “A lot of things he does, don’t show up on the stat sheet.”
Like Thursday night.