- Matchup: Tennessee State Tigers vs Iowa State Cyclones
- Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
- Venue: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
- Broadcast: CBS
- Point Spread/Odds: Tennessee State +25
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The Iowa State Cyclones (27-7) are set to face the Tennessee State Tigers (23-9) at the Enterprise Center this Friday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are seen as 25-point underdogs according to Las Vegas odds. The over/under for this matchup is established at 148.5.
In their previous game, the Tennessee State Tigers defeated Morehead State with an impressive score of 93-67. They committed 16 personal fouls while Morehead State had 14. The Tigers connected on 6 of 20 attempts from three-point range, while Morehead State excelled at the free throw line, hitting 19 of 22 shots (86.4%). On the rebounding front, Tennessee State secured 39 boards (11 offensive), while Morehead State managed 28 (8 offensive) without recording a block. The Tigers also racked up 15 assists while forcing their opponents into 10 turnovers and collecting 6 steals. Defensively, Tennessee State limited Morehead State to a shooting percentage of 36.2% from the field, allowing 21 successful shots out of 58 attempts. Offensively, Tennessee State achieved a field goal percentage of 49.3% (33 out of 67) and nailed 16 out of 26 three-pointers.
One standout player in this game was Antoine Lorick III, who scored 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting, contributing 5 rebounds and 1 assist in just 23 minutes on the court, concluding with a 66.7% shooting accuracy.
With a current record of 23-9, the Tennessee State Tigers are averaging 12.2 turnovers and 18.1 personal fouls per game. They pull down 38.0 rebounds per game, totaling 422 assists this season, which ranks 242nd nationwide. From beyond the arc, the Tigers are shooting 33.1% (204 of 616) and have a free throw percentage of 76.5%. They score an average of 80.5 points per game (75th in Division 1), with a shooting percentage of 46.0% from the field.
Defensively, the Tigers are averaging 14.7 forced turnovers and drawing 16.8 personal fouls per contest. They stand 103rd in the nation for assists allowed, giving up 404 thus far this season. Their defensive stats show that Tennessee State allows a 44.4% shooting percentage from opponents (809 made from 1,823 attempts) and averages 33.7 rebounds per game. On three-point attempts, they concede 32.8% and rank 165th nationwide with an opponent scoring average of 73.3 points per game.
In their last game, the Iowa State Cyclones fell to Arizona with a narrow score of 82-80. They managed to grab 16 defensive and 10 offensive rebounds for a total of 26. The Cyclones turned the ball over 11 times while securing 8 steals. Arizona committed 14 personal fouls, allowing the Cyclones to attempt 8 free throws, of which they converted 4 (50.0%). From behind the arc, Iowa State successfully made 14 of their 31 attempts (45.2%). Overall, the Cyclones shot 47.0% from the field, making 31 out of 66 shots. Conversely, they allowed Arizona to shoot 55.2% (32 out of 58). They managed to hit 50.0% from three-point range, converting 8 of 16 attempts and went 10 out of 16 from the charity stripe (62.5%). Iowa State permitted Arizona to collect 31 rebounds in total (11 offensive).
Milan Momcilovic emerged as a key player for the Cyclones, converting 10 of 18 shots, scoring 28 points along with 5 rebounds in 36 minutes of action, but did not record any assists.
The Iowa State Cyclones enter with a 27-7 record for the season. They average 16.0 personal fouls per game and convert 67.2% at the free throw line. They facilitate 17.2 assists per game (21st in college basketball) and turn the ball over 10.3 times on average. Over the course of the year, Iowa State has logged 2,781 points (81.8 per game) and secures 35.6 rebounds per game, demonstrating strong offensive execution with a field goal percentage of 49.0%, placing them 23rd nationwide.
The Iowa State defense is stellar, ranking 12th nationally for points per game allowed at 65.1. They generate 15.3 turnovers each game while limiting opponents to 42.6% shooting from the field (90th in college). The Cyclones allow a 32.1% success rate on three-point attempts (256 of 797) and have seen opponents make 71.5% of their free throw shots. Their defense averages 12.7 assists and 31.0 rebounds per game, ranking them 127th and 24th in college basketball, respectively.
Who will dominate in tonight’s NCAA match spread-wise?
Prediction: Take Tennessee State (+25)
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