Iowa State Basketball Faces UCF in Big 12 Matchup

ORLANDO, Florida – Iowa State University is set to continue its 2024-25 basketball season on Tuesday with a crucial Big 12 Conference road game against the University of Central Florida (UCF) at Addition Financial Arena.

The Cyclones, boasting a record of 18-5 and 8-4 in Big 12 play, aim to build on their recent performance that included an impressive 82-52 victory over Texas Christian University on Saturday. This win snapped a three-game losing streak and was marked by the return of starting forward Milan Momcilovic, who had been sidelined for nearly a month due to injury.

UCF comes into the match struggling, with a season record of 13-11 and 4-9 in the Big 12. The Knights are facing their own challenges, having lost their last five games, severely impacting their chances for an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament. They previously lost to Iowa State on January 21, with a score of 108-83.

The Cyclones will tip off against UCF at 6 p.m. CT. Viewers are advised that the game will not be aired on television but is available for streaming. Fans can tune in on authorized streaming platforms by subscribing to the necessary services.

“We need to keep the momentum from our last game,” said Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger. “Getting Milan back is huge for our team, and we’re looking to capitalize on that against UCF.”

The Knights previously faced the University of Colorado on Saturday, continuing their search for their first conference win since they joined the Big 12, having lost 13 consecutive league games. They narrowly defeated Colorado 75-74 in Orlando on January 8.

Colorado hosts UCF at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, aiming to break its own losing streak, which has stretched to four games, with recent losses coming by an average of 15 points.

UCF’s head coach Johnny Dawkins remarked, “We need to refocus and reset. Those losses have been tough, but we still have games to make our season what we want it to be.”

With both teams eager to turn their fortunes around, the upcoming matchup could prove crucial for both Iowa State and UCF as they navigate their respective paths in the competitive Big 12 Conference.