Iowa State steamrolled Arizona State by a Big 12 tournament-record 49 points on Wednesday, earning a rematch with a well-rested Texas Tech in Thursday’s quarterfinals in Kansas City.

The fifth-seeded Cyclones (26-6) had fallen to the fourth-seeded Red Raiders on the final day of last month but now get another shot at redemption in the fearsome conference tournament.

“There’s no easy path in the Big 12 tournament,” Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “They have an unbelievable team this year and they continue to do great things. We know what a tough challenge it’s going to be, so we’re going to do everything to be at our absolute best.”

Iowa State dominated from start to finish in its 91-42 victory over Arizona State, marking the final game for Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley. The Cyclones had also beaten Arizona State 86-65 in last Saturday’s regular-season finale, ending a two-game slide.

Milan Momcilovic led the Cyclones with 21 points, hitting four 3-pointers, while Joshua Jefferson added 20 points and 12 rebounds. Blake Buchanan contributed 17 points, showcasing Iowa State’s balanced offensive firepower.

“I think our guys came out with a great level of energy and intensity from the start,” Otzelberger said. “We knew it was important to try to speed them up and score off our defense, and our guys executed perfectly. We’re always at our best when we do that.”

Texas Tech, meanwhile, is eager to kick off its postseason run. The Red Raiders (22-9) had a day off Wednesday after defeating Iowa State 82-73 earlier this season.

“This is the best time of the year,” Red Raiders coach Grant McCasland said. “Playing postseason basketball in March is a blessing. The Big 12 tournament in Kansas City is remarkable. It’s a great opportunity for our team to compete in one of the best college basketball tournaments outside of the NCAA Tournament.”

Texas Tech will be playing its sixth game since losing star big man JT Toppin to an ACL injury on Feb. 17. The Red Raiders are 3-2 without him, including the previous victory over Iowa State, where Donovan Atwell scored 18 points on six 3-pointers and Christian Anderson added 14 points and seven assists.

Despite closing the regular season with losses to TCU and BYU, McCasland said he isn’t worried about momentum. “I don’t really care about streaks,” he said. “As a coach, I focus on what we need to improve to give ourselves a chance to win the next game. Do we want to win? 100%.”

Atwell has made a Texas Tech-record 121 3-pointers this season, with Anderson adding 103, also surpassing the previous school record. On Iowa State’s side, Momcilovic set a new school mark with 118 treys, ranking second in the Big 12 in made 3-pointers per game behind Atwell.

-Field Level Media/Reuters