On Friday, No. 6 Iowa State put up one of the worst offensive performances of the men’s NCAA tournament, scoring just 41 points in a 59–41 loss to No. 11 Pittsburgh. The Cyclones only scored two points in the first ten minutes of the game and shot 23.3% from the field, including 9.5% from three-point range.
Before the game, Iowa State needed to get its rim fixed for shootaround, as the basket was initially crooked. That took away the Cyclones’ ability to warm up, which might have led to such a slow start.
However, after the game, forward Tre King declined to use it as an excuse.
