AMES – The best sixth man in the country was back at it again. Iowa State senior guard Curtis Jones was moved into a starting role for the past seven games with sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic sidelined with a broken hand.
But Saturday against TCU, Momcilovic made his return. Not only did he return to play, head coach T.J. Otzelberger put him right back in the starting lineup.
Jones was back in his typical role, entering off the bench. That change and return to what Iowa State had done before must have been what the Cyclones needed.
“It’s something that has worked for us in the past,” Jones said. “It worked [Saturday], so I was glad to get back to that recipe that we had going.”
With a team-high 24 points on 7-for-11 shooting, Jones led the charge for No. 8 Iowa State in its 82-52 win over TCU. The win was a big one. It snapped a three-game losing streak for the Cyclones and now puts them at 18-5 overall and 8-4 in the Big 12.
As a team, Iowa State was 60% from the field, 47% from long range, forced 16 turnovers and never let TCU lead for a single second.
Being moved out of the starting lineup after starting multiple games in a row might be demoralizing for a lot of players. Jones is not one of those players.
“[Jones] has been as selfless as anybody could,” Otzelberger said. “Everybody wants to start, and he has a very strong case based on his performance. Yet, for one reason or another, it just works for our team, rhythm, rotation, [Jones] has been really good for us when he does come off [the bench].”
Momcilovic wasted no time now that he was back on the court, as he put up the first shot of the game for Iowa State.
Though it didn’t fall, it proved that the Cyclones took a big step in returning to full health.
“I really wanted that first 3 to go down,” Momcilovic said. “We drew that first play up for me. A little too excited, but I got it going in the second half.”
Momcilovic didn’t make his first shot until three minutes into the second half. It was worth the wait for the fans, considering what followed.
Assisted by junior guard Tamin Lipsey, Momcilovic drained a three from the corner. It prompted TCU to call a timeout as the Iowa State lead grew to its largest margin at 23 points.
Then, it was Juicy Wiggle time in Hilton Coliseum.
Right out of the timeout, a steal and a slam for senior guard Nate Heise brought the crowd back to its feet. Another 3 for Momcilovic, one possession later kept them there.
Momcilovic said seeing and hearing the fans cheer for him in his return was nice, but that he was just happy to help the team any way he could.
Outside, Jones and Momcilovic made the magic happen. They were the only Cyclones who made any 3’s.
Jones struggled during the three losses, going only 3-for-21 from 3-point range. Saturday was a different story, as he was 5-for-6.
All of his 3’s came on back-to-back possessions. The first three 3’s were all right in a row in the first half, while the final two were part of a late 12-0 run.
“When things aren’t going as well, it’s human nature for guys on our team to want to step up,” Otzelberger said. “Jones is an elite play-making, scoring guard.”
Momcilovic made it rain in the second half. After going 0-for-1 outside in the first half, Momcilovic was 4-for-6 in the second, where he scored all 14 of his points on 5-for-7 shooting.
“When adversity hits and times are tough, you learn a lot about people,” Otzelberger said. “How he worked, how he competed, how he set an example for his teammates, the leadership he showed through that process, I knew that he would be ready.”
With Momcilovic back, the rhythm on both offense and defense improved from the past few games. If it continues, Iowa State will be in a good position.
