It turns out the Iowa State Cyclones can win without star senior forward Joshua Jefferson.
Before Iowa State’s Round of 32 matchup against the No. 7-seeded Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday, Jefferson (ankle) was ruled out. The No. 2-seeded Cyclones then turned to senior guard Tamin Lipsey, who delivered the best game of his career.
Tamin Lipsey dominated against Kentucky
Lipsey scored a career-high 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and logged 10 assists and five steals in an 82-63 win over the Wildcats. Per The Field of 68, he became the third player in NCAA Tournament history to log that stat line in a game.
Following his outstanding performance, Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger sent a bold message about Lipsey.