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BYU guard Dallin Hall celebrates after making a 3-point basket during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Iowa State, Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) | Charlie Neibergall
Of all the plays that decided one of the best regular-season games in college basketball this season — and there were dozens and dozens of them in the instant classic — a non-scoring play by BYU center Keba Keita stands out.
It will be remembered in BYU lore forever, and enabled the No. 23 Cougars to upset No. 10 Iowa State 88-85 in double overtime in front of 14,267 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, on Tuesday night.
Channeling his inner Tyler Allgeier — BYU and Arizona State football fans will get that reference — Keita chased down Iowa State’s Nate Heise and blocked the guard’s would-be dunk at the rim.
It was only one play at the time, but it loomed large in a game that lasted 50 minutes, and was emblematic of the effort displayed by both nationally ranked Big 12 clubs on ESPN2.
“Just toughness, honestly,” is how BYU coach Kevin Young described the win to the BYU Sports Network. “That’s the biggest thing that comes to mind. You know, composure. It just felt like we were giving it to them after that big lead.”
Yes, there was that big lead.
The Cougars went up 54-33 with a little more than 13 minutes remaining when Dallin Hall dunked a fast break lob from Trey Stewart, forcing the homestanding Cyclones to get a timeout as a shell-shocked crowd looked on in disbelief.
Iowa State (22-8, 12-7) then went on a 28-9 run to get back in it, as BYU reverted to giving the ball away on almost every possession, much like the Cougars did in the game’s first six minutes when they failed to score.
BYU finished with a whopping 29 turnovers — and still won.
ESPN noted that no team has defeated a ranked team while committing 29 turnovers in the last 20 years, but somehow, the Cougars (22-8, 13-6) pulled it off, even as seemingly every whistle in…
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Author : Deseret News
Publish date : 2025-03-05 06:47:00
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