Twister sister forecast: Maintaining the flow

All gas. No breaks. 

The Cyclones are red hot on a five game win streak as they look to close the second leg of their trip to Utah as they take on the BYU cougars at 8 p.m. While the Cyclones have found their rhythm, BYU got completely spun around in the state of Kansas, losing to both the Jayhawks and Wildcats by over 20. 

Iowa State had a very impressive performance against Utah on Saturday, leading by as much as 19. They continued their large presence beyond the arc, connecting on 10-24 from distance. The star continues to be Audi Crooks, who scored 24 points in the second half and secured eight rebounds. She remains atop the national rankings for points per game at 25.9. Arrianna Jackson and Sydney Harris both connected on four triples against the Utes, as the Cyclones would escape Salt Lake City with a 79-72 victory. 

BYU has been firmly on the struggle bus, especially as of late. Currently 5-7 in conference, they have dropped four of their last five, with each defeat by at least 14. Their one win was a good one for their resume, a twelve point victory over their rivals Utah. Still, two losses to some unimpressive teams from the state of Kansas has dropped BYU from current ESPN bracketology, putting themselves in the first four out and putting Arizona State into the tournament in their place. Iowa State is currently in the last four byes. 

The Cougars are currently 12th in the conference for point differential during league play, but their -3.8 average is certainly ahead of Cincinnati, sitting at 13th with a -9.4. Still, a negative point differential this large may insinuate that BYU’s overall results are still an over performance, and their recent struggles may be a reversion back to the mean. Barttovik has BYU at 56 and the NET gives them 57, both in between Kansas and Kansas State. Iowa State is currently ranked 33 in both metrics. 

So what is Iowa State’s path to victory? Here are my thoughts. 

1. Limit BYU’s offensive rebounds. There is one thing that BYU does very well, and it is hitting the offensive glass. They currently rank first in the conference with 14.1 per game. While they may not shoot at a high percentage, those extra opportunities can keep them in the game. 
2. Continue to limit turnovers. In contrast to last year, Iowa State is currently first in the conference during league play with just 14.2 turnovers per game, and they have averaged just 12.4 over their last five. BYU ranks third in steals, so keeping possession of the ball will be key. 
3. Keep the good vibes rolling. The team is very clearly playing with energy and style during their five game win streak. Many players have adapted their roll on the team due to Addy Brown’s absence, and now they have found a system that is very clearly working. A win here sets up a Play4Kay game in Hilton against Kansas State that will absolutely have a crowd waiting to celebrate this rejuvenated squad. 

Prediction: ISU 75 – BYU 66