What did TJ Otzelberger have to say after Iowa State’s win vs. Iowa

The third-ranked Iowa State men needed a rally late in the second half to end a decade-long drought inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena Thursday night, winning over Iowa, 89-80.

Curtis Jones and Nate Heise scored 33 points off the bench with six made 3-pointers and 12 rebounds between them. Joshua Jefferson had a double-double, scoring 19 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists. 

But despite all that, the Cyclones (8-1) trailed 44-37 at the break before outscoring Iowa (7-3) in the final 20 minutes, 52-36. 

Iowa State returns to action on Sunday when they host Omaha live on CBS Sports Network. 

Here are some of the key highlights from Otzelberger’s post-game press conference:

“Credit to Coach (Fran) McCaffrey, his staff and players because they spaced us out and had us back on our heels for the first 35 minutes, which is a huge credit to them,” Otzelberger said. “They were relentless. I thought the last four-or-five minutes, we did a better job defensively, a better job guarding the dribble, contesting and finishing plays on the glass. That got us out in transition. Guys made big shots, made big plays. Our team is at its best when they are disruptive defensively.”

“Throughout the course of a season, you are put in a lot of tough spots,” Otzelberger said. “Challenges come your way. You try to build young men in our program to expect adversity. Challenges  will come and you can’t think you will play perfectly. What really matters to me is when something doesn’t go your way, how do you respond? I thought our guys showed a lot of pride in our program playing for our fans, alums and donors.”

“I made the comment a couple of days ago that he is a super hero,” Otzelberger said. “The shots are great but he makes so many hustle plays. He is so tenacious in that department. They are not 50-50 balls; he commands, demands all of those. I believe those plays are energizing plays that take your team to another level.”

“Nate is a tremendous competitor who brings great energy, especially on the road,” Otzelberger said. “When you are playing a really good opponent, he is a guy you put a lot of trust in. I liked his energy. He is a shotmaker, a playmaker and I am happy for him playing as well as he is.”

* How to watch Iowa State vs. Omaha on Sunday

* Cyclones rally past Iowa to secure road win