Cyclones Survive Jefferson Injury, Advance in Tournament

0:00On March 21st, Iowa State Cyclones dominated the Tennessee State Tigers in the first round of the men's NCAA tournament, winning 100, 8-74. That marked the most points the program has ever scored in a tournament game. But the big victory came with a major setback early on. Less than three minutes in, Star Forward, Joshua Jefferson twisted his ankle after a layup and had to be helped off the court. He later returned to the bench on crutches and in a walking boot, leaving his status for upcoming games up in the air. The injury hits hard since Jefferson averages nearly 17 points a game, and replacing his scoring and rebounding won't be simple. Coach T.J. Ozzelberger will lean on the depth of his roster to keep the momentum going. Players like Guard Nate Heiss, who dropped 22 points, including four three pointers in the win, could see more minutes on the wing. Former Dominic Nelson got 19 minutes off the bench and brings strong drives to the hoop,

1:00while Jamerian Bateman showed aggression by firing, 10 shots. With the tournament heating up, the cyclones face a tough test to adapt without their key forward and push deeper into March Madness.