Racine native Tyrese Hunter hits a series of big threes, lifts Iowa State into second round of tournament

The Wisconsin Badgers weren't the only ones finding success in their home state.

Racine St. Catherine's alumnus Tyrese Hunter had a career-high 23 points and played the hero as his 11th-seeded Iowa State team held off sixth-seeded LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum on Friday, 59-54.

Hunter also finished with five steals, three assists and three rebounds, and he made 7 of 11 shots from behind the arc, often engaging with the Iowa State crowd after a make.

Next up for the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and his fellow Cyclones: Wisconsin, which reached the second round with its 67-60 late-hour win over Colgate.

Hunter played 34 minutes, piloting the Cyclones with four critical three-pointers in the second half. None was bigger than his deep basket with 19.3 seconds on the clock, with the shot clock winding down and his team nursing a 56-54 lead.

More:Your guide to Wisconsinites in the NCAA basketball tournament

"It's March Madness," Hunter said after his NCAA Tournament debut. "Everybody's got one goal and you've got to go out there and play hard. That's just me playing myself. People say, 'freshman this, freshman that,' but at the end of the day I'm a basketball player that's out there with other basketball players that's going out there to compete and win. So I just go out there and do my thing."

The Cyclones are a team with multiple Wisconsin connections, including Milwaukee native head coach T.J. Otzelberger and his top assistant, J.R. Blount. They'll stay in Milwaukee for a Sunday assignment against UW.

"He's put a lot into that shot, and for it to show up tonight on the big stage at home for him is really special," Otzelberger said of Hunter. "We wanted the ball in his hands late, he stepped up and made big shots ... I'm so excited to coach a player like that who steps up in the big moment."

Hunter, who wasn't recruited by Wisconsin, said he was looking into the ISU cheering section at his family after his makes, particularly searching for his grandmother.

"My whole family's here, and it felt good just trying to go out there and get the win," Hunter said. "It just happened. Before a game, I'm pretty sure every player has a picture in their head of what they want the game to look like. But I just let the game come to me and I got the shots presented to me and I just let them fly."

Izaiah Brockington had 19 points for Iowa State, which led by 12 in the first half and 10 in the second half but had to continually fight off LSU, a team playing without its recently fired head coach, Will Wade, and instead with interim coach Kevin Nickelberry.

"He was one of the most excited guys in (the locker room) before the game started," Brockington said of Hunter. "He's been like that all year, no matter the implications of the game, no matter how big the game is, he's ready to go out there, ready to be aggressive ... he doesn't let the moment get too big for him. He's always poised, always ready to make a big play when we need it."

Hunter's deep triple with 1:41 to go gave his team a 54-50 lead, and it came at a time when the Cyclones were scratching for any offense at all and had seen their lead – as robust as 10 points in the second half – dip to one point.

LSU leading scorer Tari Eason, saddled with foul trouble for much of the night, muscled in a layup through traffic with 1:17 to go, making it 54-52. Brockington then coaxed in two free throws with 1:00 on the clock, good for a 56-52 edge, before Mwani Wilkinson answered on the other end for LSU, taking a great pass from point guard Xavier Pinson, and it was 56-54 with 47.8 to play.

That set up yet another confident take from Hunter, one that got a hearty cheer from the Milwaukee crowd.

"I looked at (the clock) the whole possession," Hunter said. "I was trying to make sure I managed the whole possession. So I really was trying to get it to (Brockington), but it came into my hands, so I shot the ball confidently."

Added Otzelberger, "We put the ball in his hands to start the season and we trusted him because of his character and work habits. (Players) are easy to follow when he works like he works."

Brockington stole away the ball on LSU's next possession, giving the Cyclones the relief of victory.