CONWAY, SOUTH CAROLINA – The Iowa State men’s basketball team advanced to the championship game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off At Myrtle Beach with a pair of wins against Appalachian State and Tulsa to improve to 2-2 this season.
Since 2013-14, Iowa State has won the 2013-14 Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu, Hawaii) and the 2015-16 Emerald Coast Classic (Niceville, Florida) and posted a record of 10-2 in regular season tournaments. The Cyclones have reached the finals of each tournament the last five seasons.
ISU is playing four of its first five games on the road for the first time since the 1999-2000 season.
Iowa State and Boise State will meet for just the second time Sunday. The only other meeting came on Christmas Day in the finals of the 2013 Diamond Head Classic, which saw ISU win 70-66 behind 23 points from DeAndre Kane and 16 from Georges Niang.
This will be Steve Prohm’s first time facing Boise State and head coach Leon Rice. ISU is 21-14 all-time against teams currently in the Mountain West Conference…the Cyclones have won their last two games against MWC teams (Nevada, 2017 NCAA Tournament; Boise State, 2013 Diamond Head Classic).
Last Time Out: Cyclones Advance With Win Over Tulsa
• Iowa State won its second game in a row with an 80-78 win against Tulsa Friday night in Conway.
• Jackson (24) and Weiler-Babb (20) led the Cyclones in scoring once again, with both players scoring more than 20 points for the second consecutive game…Jakolby Long hit 4-of-6 three-pointers and finished with a career-high 17 points as ISU connected on a season-best 12 three-pointers as a team.
• Weiler-Babb posted his first career double-double (20 points and career-best 14 rebounds) and narrowly missed the school’s sixth-ever triple-double (8 assists).
• Iowa State improved to 42-3 under Steve Prohm when leading at halftime, which includes a streak of 28-straight wins.
