Iowa State cyclones forward Joshua Jefferson (2) dunks the ball against the IU Indianapolis Jaguars during the first half in the NCAA men’s basketball at Hilton Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
AMES — Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson made just one mistake Monday night.
He failed to reward fellow big man Dishon Jackson for what would have been his only assist.
“I wanted to get it real bad,” said Jefferson, who recorded his first double-double as a Cyclone in an 87-52 rout of IU Indianapolis before a crowd of 13,615 at Hilton Coliseum. “Physical game, so you’ve just got to play through it and get the next one.”
Jefferson’s lone miscue went down as a turnover rather than a missed shot, helping him to finish a perfect 7-for-7 from the field en route to a season-high 16 point performance. The St. Mary’s transfer also grabbed 10 rebounds and doled out four assists as ISU improved to 3-0 on the season.
“His activity level defensively was tremendous,” Cyclone head coach T.J. Otzelberger said of Jefferson, who also turned a steal into a fast break dunk. “His ability to pass the basketball at his size, especially inside out, is really good. He’s a very cerebral player. Tonight was what — when we recruited him, that was the standard that we set out for, and now it’s (about) doing it night in and night out.”
Jackson matched Jefferson’s 10 boards. Point guard Tamin Lipsey added a season-high 17 points and five steals. Fellow guard Keshon Gilbert had 11 points and eight assists, and another guard, Curtis Jones, led ISU with 20 points off the bench.
He scored 11 straight points for the Cyclones at one point and drilled four of his 10 3-point attempts, which actually brought his season percentage from beyond the arc down to 44.4 percent.
“I’m feeling good and confident and just really playing and not doing too much thinking,” said Jones, who notched his second straight 20-point game. “If I’m gonna shoot it, I’m just like, ‘I’m gonna let it go with unlimited confidence.’ So I really feel like that’s what’s propelled me to this good start.”
ISU led the Jaguars (2-3) by as many as 38 points and crafted an edge of 26-to-4 in points off turnovers. The Cyclones also outscored IU Indianapolis 32-to-14 in the paint and limited it to 28.6 percent shooting in the second half.
“How we want to play is be relentless defensively, pressure the ball, be disruptive, and then get out and go play in transition and share the basketball with one another,” Otzelberger said. “Felt like with each game we’ve played, we’ve improved in that area and it’s something we need to continue to be really mindful of.”
ISU won its first three games by an average of 33.3 points, but now the competition ratchets up sharply, beginning with a Maui Invitational matchup with fourth-ranked Auburn next Monday.
“Those are the games that are the most fun,” Jones said. “We went through a lot last year, knowing the Big 12 in itself, so it’s gonna be fun to go out there and play another top-five team. I’m really looking forward to it and we’ll prepare hard.”
Jefferson’s road back to a double-double has been an arduous one. The 6-8 junior’s most recent double-double came with St. Mary’s in a 64-62 win last February over arch-rival Gonzaga. Three games later, Jefferson was sidelined by a season-ending knee injury. He underwent surgery, transferred to ISU, and endured months of rehabilitation before being fully cleared for contact drills late this summer.
“Just getting back into the rhythm now,” Jefferson said. “It feels good to get running and rebounding the way I like to rebound. Just continue to do the physical things and I think that’s just gonna take our team to the next level.”
That’s been the plan all along, Otzelberger said.
“We believed that he could be a double-double guy and that should be what he strives for night in and night out,” Otzelberger said. “So regardless of what’s happened in the past, to me, he has that ability to impact the game the way he did tonight — and it’s my responsibility to demand that from him.”
