Preview: Seed Iowa State Faces Seed Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament Semifinal

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Interstat) — A spot in the Big 12 championship game will be on the line Thursday when second-seeded Iowa State faces third-seeded Texas Tech in a conference tournament semifinal at T-Mobile Center.

The matchup is a quick rematch from late February, adding a layer of urgency for an Iowa State team seeking payback. Texas Tech won the regular-season meeting 82-73 in Ames on Feb. 28, handing the Cyclones one of their six losses.

Iowa State (26-6) enters as one of the nation’s hottest teams, having won 10 of its last 12 games. The Cyclones are coming off a dominant 91-42 quarterfinal victory over Arizona State on Wednesday, where forward Joshua Jefferson posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Jefferson has been a consistent force, averaging 16.1 points over his last eight games. He scored 22 against the Red Raiders in the previous matchup.

Texas Tech (22-9) arrives after a longer layoff, having fallen 82-76 at BYU in its regular-season finale on March 7. The Red Raiders have split their last six games but possess a potent offense, averaging 79.2 points per game.

Guard Christian Anderson drives Texas Tech’s attack. He dished out seven assists in the win over Iowa State last month and is averaging 9.3 assists over his last three contests. Anderson scored 23 points in the loss to BYU.

The game features a contrast in recent tournament history. Iowa State, under coach T.J. Otzelberger, has won two of the last three Big 12 Tournament titles. Texas Tech is seeking its first championship game appearance since 2005.

A key battle will be on the boards. Iowa State outrebounded Arizona State 45-20 in its quarterfinal rout, while Texas Tech allowed 15 offensive rebounds in its recent loss to BYU.

The winner will advance to face either top-seeded Houston or fourth-seeded Baylor in Saturday’s championship game.

Tipoff is scheduled for approximately 8:30 p.m. CDT Thursday. The game will be televised on ESPN.