Tamin Lipsey scored a season-high 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting to help lead Iowa State to a 68-64 win over VCU in the first round of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thursday in Kissimmee, Fla.
Keshon Gilbert also had 22 points, and added a game-high 10 rebounds for the Cyclones (5-0), who rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit and outscored VCU 19-5 over the last 5:44. Robert Jones poured in 12 points on 6-for-7 shooting.
Max Shulga led VCU with 17 points and eight assists and Michael Belle scored 14 for the Rams (3-2), who saw their three-game winning streak snapped. Christian Fermin had 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting from the field and Zeb Jackson added 10 points.
Lipsey gave Iowa State a 65-64 lead with 1:36 remaining, its first lead since the 12:29 mark of the first half.
After a missed shot by Shulga, Gilbert connected on two free throws to extend the Cyclones’ lead to three with 26 seconds left.
Shulga then missed a contested 3-pointer that was rebounded by Curtis Jones, who knocked down 1 of 2 free throws to give Iowa State a four-point lead and the eventual victory.
Iowa State connected on just 2 of its 13 3-pointers, but out-rebounded VCU 38-29 and 17-5 on offensive boards.
VCU held a 33-24 lead at halftime, thanks to 55 percent shooting from the field and 5-for-10 on its 3-pointers.
A pair of free throws by Gilbert gave Iowa State a 12-11 lead with 12:29 left in the first half, but the Cyclones were then held scoreless over the next 7:46 while the Rams went on a 14-0 run.
VCU’s largest lead came at the 1:35 mark of the first half on Toibu Lawal’s dunk that made it 33-18.
Lipsey hit two 3-pointers in the last 41 seconds of the first half to cut the margin to nine. Lipsey and Jones each had eight points to pace the Cyclones’ first-half scoring. VCU was led by Shulga’s nine.
–Field Level Media
