Keshon Gilbert leads Iowa State's balanced attack with 15 points in 77-65 win over UCF

Updated Feb. 11, 2025 9:12 p.m. ET

Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Keshon Gilbert scored 15 points and Joshua Jefferson had 13 points and eight rebounds to lead No. 10 Iowa State to a 77-65 win over UCF on Tuesday night.

Tamin Lipsey scored 11 points and Curtis Jones scored 10 off the bench for Iowa State (19-5, 9-4 Big 12).

Keyshawn Hall led the Knights (13-11, 4-9) with 22 points and eight rebounds. Guard Mikey Williams had 14 points off the bench.

The Cyclones usually rely on their scoring to win, but they put the defensive clamps on the Knights, holding one of the Big 12's highest-scoring teams to 41.5% shooting from the field including 6 for 26 (23.1%) from 3-point range.

Takeaways

Iowa State: The Cyclones put their three-game losing streak farther in the rearview mirror, following a 30-point home win over TCU last weekend with a solid road win at UCF.

UCF: The Knights' NCAA Tournament hopes are fading fast as they lost their fifth straight game and another chance to get a win over a ranked opponent. They went 0-5 against currently ranked conference opponents with none remaining on the schedule.

Key Moment

Iowa State had answers for UCF runs throughout the second half, answering Williams' 3-pointer with a 3 from Nate Heise early in the second half to open a double-digit lead. Then midway through the second half, Knights guard Darius Johnson missed a layup that led directly to a runout for Gilbert and an 11-point lead.

Key Stat

Despite the presence of UCF's 7-foot center Moustapha Thiam, Iowa State dominated the paint. The Cyclones grabbed 11 offensive rebounds for 15 second-chance points and outscored the Knights 38-34 in the paint.