AMES — ESPN’s College GameDay paid a visit to Hilton Coliseum Saturday and hosted its show before No. 8 Iowa State’s match against TCU.
With the return of sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic, the Cyclones went on to dominate the Horned Frogs, as Iowa State broke the three-game losing streak it was on with its 82-52 win.
Momcilovic returns to starting lineup, Jones shines off the bench
The last game Momcilovic played in came back on Jan. 11, when the Cyclones captured a close overtime win over Texas Tech in Lubbock.
Later that week, when preparing to host Kansas, Momcilovic injured his non-shooting hand in practice, which forced him to be out for the foreseeable future.
When Momcilovic was out, it was evident that Iowa State was missing his floor spacing abilities and shooting from deep, as the Cyclones went 3-4 in his absence.
Following the Monday night loss to Kansas in Lawrence, it gave Momcilovic ample time to attempt a comeback for Saturday’s match against TCU.
But after having the week to test out his hand, Momcilovic was cleared to play and was good enough to come back into the starting lineup for head coach T.J. Otzelberger.
“[Momcilovic] sped up his ability to return based on how he attacked that process,” Otzelberger said. “Once we felt good that he was going to play, it became a no-brainer to bring him back into the starting lineup.”
While his first half was not the best in scoring numbers, as he went scoreless on only two shot attempts, the second half was where the sophomore forward shined the most. He led Iowa State in the second half with 14 points on 5-of-7 field goal shooting, 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
On a day when the Cyclones needed him most, Momcilovic made his comeback and helped Iowa State throttle the Horned Frogs by 30 at home.
“It was good to be back on the court with my teammates,” Momcilovic said. “I felt ready to go so I played.”
“Having Milan [Momcilovic] back was great,” senior guard Curtis Jones said. “He made four 3s so it was big time.”
This performance won’t be a one-time occurrence either, as Momcilovic is back to full strength and looks forward to ending the season on a high note.
“No limitations. I’m 100% ready to go,” Momcilovic said.
However, Momcilovic’s return meant that Jones would revert to coming off the bench as he had before Momcilovic’s injury.
Like he did when he came off the bench, Jones led Iowa State by scoring 24 points off the bench Saturday.
Jones’ 24-point output came on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, with 5-of-6 coming from deep, as Jones found the groove he had once been in before the losing streak had begun.
But despite coming off the bench, Jones was happy knowing that the team could get back to the winning formula they had before Momcilovic’s injury, even if it meant not having a starting role anymore.
“I was glad to get back to that recipe that we had going,” Jones said. “Looking forward to continuing with this momentum we built today.”
That selflessness is what Otzelberger praises the most about Jones because he still calls the superstar guard a sixth starter despite all that he does off the bench.
“[Jones] has been as selfless as anybody could,” Otzelberger said. “The level he’s continued to play at, consistently, has been amazing. We’d be kidding ourselves if he wasn’t a capable starter, but we view it right now as six starters and he just happens to be the selfless teammate willing to come off the bench and be the sixth starter.”
Cyclones dominate the paint
While Momcilovic and Jones controlled the perimeter, the Cyclones would have more opportunities to score in the paint from the floor spacing they created.
That was exactly what happened Saturday, as Iowa State would score most of its points from the lane. 44 of its 82 total points came from inside.
The two players that led the charge in that category came from redshirt senior center Dishon Jackson and junior forward Joshua Jefferson, who have been tabbed as the “presidents.”
Jackson led the way in scoring with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
Jefferson added his ninth double-double of the season with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and a free throw, along with 10 rebounds, four of which came off the offensive glass.
While it wasn’t just these two that did the heavy work in the paint, they created opportunities for others to score from inside by being the playmakers they are.
“Seeing the lane a little less clogged than it normally is was big time,” Jones said. “We’re a team that likes to score in the paint.”
This was the first time since the Cyclones’ win over UCF that Iowa State has scored at least 40 points from the paint, as the tandem helped lead the charge in that category.
“Both guys that started set the tone,” Otzelberger said. “Joshua [Jefferson]’s effort on the glass and his focus was amazing. Dishon [Jackson] was dominant early, his confidence has continued to grow by finishing plays. Those guys controlled the interior for us today and it was extremely important.”
