Iowa State absolutely dismantled Tennessee State in this first-round NCAA Tournament matchup, building a commanding 38-point lead en route to a 108-74 blowout. The Cyclones came out firing, unleashing a devastating 29-2 run early that ballooned their lead to 38-9 and essentially put the game away before halftime. As the No. 2 seed, Iowa State controlled every aspect of the game—the Tigers never threatened, managing just one lead change all night. Tennessee State fought for stretches, including an 8-2 run late in the second half that cut the lead to 32 points, but Iowa State's dominance was complete. The Tigers' offense bogged down repeatedly, suffering through multiple scoring droughts that allowed the Cyclones to pull further ahead. Late heroics like Damon Howard Jr.'s three-pointer with a minute left couldn't dent what was a thoroughly convincing tournament statement from Iowa State.