Iowa State men’s basketball plays Tennessee State in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
The No. 2-seed Cyclones (27-7) have been among the nation’s best teams all season and will be looking to make a deeper run than their current core has in recent seasons. The No. 15-seed Tigers (23-9) won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament and six games in a row overall.
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H2 7:38, 90-55 Iowa State
Looks like the Cyclones will break 100 points. Heise up to 22 points. Toure is one rebound away from a double-double.
H2 12:17, 79-43 Iowa State
Toure is up to a career-high 21 points. He and Heise have just been tremendous today in the absence of Jefferson.
H2 15:57, 65-37 Iowa State
Shooting 55.8% from the field and 58.3% from deep, Iowa State must love these St. Louis rims.
Heise is absolutely locked in with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
Jefferson ruled out for the game
Jefferson was ruled out for the remainder of this game. His health status moving forward is still unclear.
He is on the bench and donning a walking boot.
The second half is underway!
If Iowa State stays the course and doesn’t get sloppy, the Cyclones should cruise to victory.
Halftime: 55-29 Iowa State
Despite the Jefferson injury, Iowa State looked great on both ends. Toure really came on in the final few minutes and leads the team with 13 points and six rebounds.
Not much to criticize. The Cyclones shared the ball, clamped down defensively and didn’t lose focus.
H1 3:49, 44-19 Iowa State
This is just a mismatch on all fronts right now. Terrific ball security by the Cyclones, too, committing just three turnovers after Lipsey gave the ball away on the game’s opening possession.
H1 7:46, 36-9 Iowa State
Momxilovic and Heise have combined for 20 points, and Buchanan is feeding them with five assists.
Cyclones making this look easy and turning over Tennessee State at a high clip (9).
Jefferson is doubtful to return
Joshua Jefferson is doubtful to return today, per Iowa State spokesperson.
The broadcast showed him on crutches with ice wrapped around his left ankle.
H1 11:51, 26-7 Iowa State
This is looking like an early route. The Cyclones are 5-of-6 from behind the arc and are controlling this game in every facet.
Still no update on Jefferson.
H1 13:19, 20-7 Iowa State
Heise (7 points) and Momcilovic (5 points) are getting going, not allowing Jefferson’s injury to deter their energy.
Tennessee State is just 2-for-7 from the field with four turnovers. Cyclones’ defense looks locked in.
H1 15:45, 9-3 Iowa State
Despite Iowa State’s early lead, the Cyclones are in bad shape as Jefferson is getting X-rays, according to the broadcast, and Lipsey has two fouls.
Joshua Jefferson goes down
After driving to the basket, Jefferson went down and appeared to be in pain while being evaluated by trainers. He couldn’t put any weight on his left ankle as he was helped off the court.
The game is underway!
Let’s see if Iowa State can set the tone early.
Game will start a little late because of OT
The Cyclones are schedule to tip-off at 2:07 p.m. CT.
Winner will play Kentucky
Kentucky will await the winner of Iowa State vs. Tennessee State after beating Santa Clara, 89-84, in overtime following a thrilling buzzer-beater in regulation.
Iowa State vs Tennessee State odds in March Madness
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday evening.
Iowa State vs Tennessee State start time in NCAA bracket
Iowa State and Tennessee State will play at approximately 1:50 p.m. CT at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
What channel is Iowa State vs Tennessee State on today in March Madness?
Iowa State will tip off vs. Tennessee State on CBS. Streaming options include the NCAA March Madness Live app and FUBO, which offers a free trial. Announcers for the game are Spero Dedes and Jim Spanarkel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State vs Tennessee State March Madness game live score, highlights
Reporting by Gus Martin, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
