Iowa State's Sweet Sixteen Loss to Tennessee

On March 28th, Iowa State Cyclones had a killer season in 2025-26, dominating as one of the top teams in college hoops.

But their run crashed in the sweet 16 against the number 6 seed, Tennessee volunteers from the Midwest region.

The Vols pulled off the upset, winning 76-62, ending Iowa State's magical ride without their star forward Joshua Jefferson for a third straight game.

The cyclones just couldn't find their shot, hitting only 39% from the field, 22% from 3, and a rough 60%.

At the free throw line, that foul line was hit hardest in the second half, where they dipped under 50%, making it tough to climb back.

Tennessee struggled there too, going 9-15, but it didn't bite them.

Nate Hies and Tam and Lipsy stepped up huge for Iowa State, each dropping 18 points.

Hies kept his tournament hot streak alive, while Lipsy added 5 boards, 5 assists, and a steal.

Still, Tennessee locked down leading scorer Milan-Mom Solovic, limiting him to just 9 shots, which hurt bad against that Gritty Vols' defense.

Where Tennessee owned the night was on the boards, grabbing 43 rebounds to Iowa State's measly 22.

Without Jefferson, the cyclones got exposed inside, as Vols' big Felix O'Para and Jalen Carey each knacked 10, including 16 offensive.

Boards, almost as many as Iowa State's total. Iowa State heads back to Ames, licking their wounds, dearly missing Jefferson's presence.

Meanwhile, Tennessee rolls into the Elite 8 to battle the Michigan Wolverines, keeping their rebounding dominance on full display.