BYU Catches Fire, Hands Iowa State a Tough Road Loss in Provo
Sometimes, the shots just fall for the other team-and when they do, it can get away from you fast. That’s exactly what happened to Iowa State in Provo, where the Cyclones ran into a red-hot BYU squad and left with an 83-69 loss that snapped their five-game win streak.
Now sitting at 7-6 in Big 12 play and 19-6 overall, Iowa State will have to regroup quickly. Meanwhile, BYU, fighting to stay in the NCAA Tournament conversation, picked up a much-needed boost, moving to 6-7 in conference play and 17-8 overall.
BYU’s Backcourt Brilliance
Let’s start with the Cougars, because they earned this one. Freshman guard Olivia Hamlin had the game of her young career, dropping 23 points-19 of them before halftime.
She was aggressive, confident, and fearless, setting the tone early. Delaney Gibb wasn’t far behind.
The sharpshooter caught fire from deep, knocking down five of her seven attempts from beyond the arc and finishing with 21 points.
Together, Hamlin and Gibb were the spark that lit the flame for BYU’s offense, which shot a scorching 52% from the field and a perfect 9-for-9 from the free-throw line. This wasn’t just a case of lucky bounces either.
BYU earned their buckets, especially in the paint, where they outscored Iowa State 38-24. A lot of those came in transition or off well-timed cuts-opportunistic basketball that punished Iowa State’s defensive lapses.
Cyclones Struggle to Keep Up
For Iowa State, this one stung not just because of the loss, but because it was one of those nights where very little went right. Defensively, the Cyclones struggled to keep pace with BYU’s movement and tempo.
They got beat off the dribble, lost cutters on the baseline, and were often a step slow on rotations. When Iowa State’s defense has to scramble, it can leave gaps-and BYU found them over and over.
This isn’t a panic-button moment, but it is a reminder that the Big 12 doesn’t offer much breathing room. The Cyclones’ final five games are all against teams in the top half of the standings, and if they don’t tighten things up defensively-especially off the ball-those games could get tricky in a hurry.
A Bright Spot: Kenzie Hare Finds Her Stroke
There was at least one silver lining for Iowa State: Kenzie Hare. The sophomore guard had been searching for consistency during conference play, and she might’ve found something in Provo.
Hare hit 5-of-10 from deep and finished with a season-high 15 points. If she can keep that rhythm going, it adds another weapon to Iowa State’s perimeter attack-something they’ll need as the regular season winds down.
Looking Ahead
Road wins in the Big 12 don’t come easy, and a 1-1 split on a Utah road swing isn’t the worst outcome. But this one will leave a sour taste, mostly because Iowa State didn’t look like themselves on either end of the floor.
Offensively, it was an off night. Defensively, it was a step slow.
And in this league, that’s all it takes for a game to get away.
The Cyclones will have to regroup quickly, refocus on the details, and find their defensive edge again. Because as this game proved, even teams on the bubble-like BYU-can catch fire and make you pay.