Takeaways From BYU’s ‘Toughness’ Win Over Iowa State
Mar 5, 2025, 1:04 AM | Updated: 1:47 am
AMES, IA - MARCH 4: Dallin Hall #30 of the Brigham Young Cougars looks to pass under pressure from Curtis Jones #5 of the Iowa State Cyclones in the second half at Hilton Coliseum on March 4, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. The Brigham Young Cougars won 88-85 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images)
No. 23 BYU basketball won a game that will be a “Game of the Year” candidate in college hoops this season as they took down No. 10 Iowa State in Ames in double-overtime.
ADD IT TO THE STACK pic.twitter.com/FDJFkpTEWk
— BYU Men's Basketball (@BYUMBB) March 5, 2025
The 88-85 victory gives BYU their seventh consecutive victory. They now are tied for the 10th-longest win streak in college basketball.
Here are the takeaways from BYU’s big win in a game with a little bit of everything.
Wild game
BYU coach Kevin Young probably summed it up best when he was at the postgame podium in Ames, “I don’t even know what to say, honestly.”
That was a wild game.
BYU opened the game, looking like they would never score a basket. They didn’t hit a shot until Dallin Hall knocked down a three at the 13:35 mark of the first half.
Then BYU closed the first half on a 23-7 run.
BYU built up the lead to 21 points, and then Iowa State made a run as they did last year when the Cougars had an 11-point lead at the half in Hilton Coliseum a season ago.
Unlike last year, BYU responded to adversity and pulled through in the extra overtime periods.
BYU basketball showed their “toughness” against a tough Iowa State squad
BYU held Iowa State to 39% shooting from the field and 29% from 3-point range.
Kevin Young’s squad also outrebounded the Cyclones 52-24, consistently limiting Iowa State to only one opportunity on the offensive end.
BYU coach Kevin Young highlighted his team's toughness in the double-overtime win at No. 10 Iowa State. pic.twitter.com/OtySUgEMIb
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 5, 2025
“I know the MO of this (Iowa State) team, toughness and physicality. We felt like about a month or two ago, we turned the corner, and we felt like we started playing like the tougher team,” said BYU coach Kevin Young.
“…So, just the toughness that he showed along with the rest of our group, that’s what we talked about a lot coming into this. Knowing what that game was probably going to look like.”
Dallin Hall shined with a season-high in scoring
Last year at Iowa State, Dallin Hall had a last-second turnover that sealed BYU’s loss in Hilton Coliseum.
This time around was a different story for the junior guard.
Hall finished with a season-high 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and was 4-of-9 from 3-point range.
His clutch three in the first overtime period after Iowa State took a 73-72 lead, their first lead since the first half, was a huge answer.
He knocked down clutch shots in overtime while dealing with cramping. BYU basketball’s Director of Nutrition, Danielle LaFata, was seen on the bench giving Hall drinks to prevent the cramps from worsening so he could continue playing.
“What Dallin (Hall) did tonight, even though he had a couple of turnovers that I’m sure he wishes he had back, but playing on a cramped leg, banging threes, I thought he was gonna pass out there,” said Kevin Young.
“…So, just the toughness that (Hall) showed along with the rest of our group, that’s what we talked about a lot coming into this. Knowing what that game was probably going to look like.”
Richie Saunders was perfect from the foul line
It feels like a distant memory, but last week’s win at Arizona State, where BYU shot only 40% from the free throw line, hasn’t carried over in the following games.
During Tuesday’s win at Iowa State, BYU knocked down 25-of-31 free throw attempts, with star Richie Saunders leading the way by knocking down a perfect 13-of-13 from the charity stripe.
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Saunders knocked two clutch free throws near the end of regulation after an ATO play call that was designed for him to get downhill and attack the basket. The free throws gave BYU a 68-66 lead.
When the game is on the line, BYU is turning to Saunders.
“You learn through experiences, right? Then you can lean on those experiences,” said Saunders after the win over Iowa State. “Just a little bit ago, I was at the line in a big moment. I’m just grateful for these opportunities, but it’s just a matter of enjoying the opportunity in the moment, and I’m grateful for it.”
First half lineup with Boskovic and Stewart got BYU back into the game
After opening the game down 10-3, BYU began to settle down after the under-12 media timeout. It wasn’t unexpected to see BYU respond to the early deficit.
However, what was unexpected was that BYU would start to make a push with a lineup that featured Mihailo Boskovic and Trey Stewart so early in the game.
BYU's lineup of Demin, Stewart, Saunders, Boskovic, and Keita got the Cougars back in the game.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 5, 2025
In the opening minutes, Kevin Young played nine players in an effort to find a lineup that could score.
Together with starters Egor Demin, Keba Keita, and Richie Saunders, Boskovic and Stewart got BYU back on track to lay the groundwork for a first-half run.
It was an unlikely lineup, but it again showed Kevin Young’s willingness to shake things up to find answers in a given game.
Keba Keita was a monster on the glass
ESPN analyst Chris Spatola said of Keba Keita: “Just look at him, he’s chiseled like a Greek God, he’s like an Adonis … his shoulders are bigger than my head.”
Keita played like a Greek God, a monster, or whatever you want to call him. He was everywhere for BYU on Tuesday at Iowa State.
The former Utah transfer finished with 15 rebounds. Out of those 15 boards, nine were offensive rebounds. Keita also added seven points and three blocks.
One of those blocks, the chase-down block on Iowa State’s Nate Heise in overtime, will surely go down as one of the greatest defensive plays in BYU basketball history.
BYU wins a game against a Top-10 opponent with 29 turnovers
BYU won at Iowa State inside Hilton Coliseum, where the Cyclones have only lost twice in the past two seasons, with more turnovers than field goals.
The Cougars finished with 29 turnovers to only 26 made buckets.
BYU is the first team to have 29+ turnovers against an AP Top 25 opponent and still win the game since Iowa had 31 in a win at No. 10 Kansas on December 8, 1998.
Teams had gone a combined 0-117 against ranked opponents when having 29+ turnovers since that Iowa victory. pic.twitter.com/cwn32gtZLF
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 5, 2025
It’s the first time since Iowa knocked off No. 10 Kansas in 1998 with 31 turnovers and still won.
Until BYU’s win on Tuesday, teams were 0-117 against ranked opponents when committing 29+ turnovers since 1998. OptaStats provided that stat.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
