AMES – After losing the first meeting in heartbreaking fashion, No. 9 Iowa State made sure to leave no doubts Saturday night. Backed by a lights-out 52.4% from 3-point range, the Cyclones took down No. 22 Arizona 84-67.
It’s fair to say that Iowa State put together one of its best performances of the season in its victory over the Wildcats.
Defensively, the Cyclones held Arizona to 67 points on 33.3% shooting from the field and 18.2% from 3-point range.
It wasn’t like the Wildcats were missing a lot of wide-open shots, either. The Cyclones were playing aggressive and energetic defense from the opening tip. They weren’t letting any shots get up easily.
“I thought the intensity and tightness really stood out,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said.
However, the Cyclones especially excelled on offense.
Even with a near seven-minute streak without a made field goal in the second half, the Cyclones scored 84 points while shooting 50% from the field and 52.4% from 3-point range.
Iowa State made seven out of its first nine 3-point attempts and was 9-of-13 at the end of the first half.
The Cyclones’ 11 3-point baskets tied a season-high that had happened three times prior, and the 52.4% from behind the arc set a new season-high.
“They can miss… they just weren’t,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said.
Sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic led the way for the Cyclones in the 3-point department, making 4-of-6 attempts from long range. Momcilovic also went 5-of-9 overall from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line, scoring a team high 17 points.
“On the ball screen on the weak side, they were kind of tagging the roller, so that allowed me to get open on the weak side and pull at the top of the key,” Momcilovic said.
“He was on fire,” junior guard Tamin Lipsey said. “I was just hitting him every time, racking up assists, looking for him. I liked how confident and aggressive he was in his shot.”
Not far behind Momcilovic was Lipsey who scored 15 points while shooting 4-of-6 from the field, 2-of-3 from 3-point range and 5-of-5 from the free throw line.
On top of his efficient shooting performance, Lipsey had a team-high eight assists, his second highest total of the season and his highest total of conference play.
“Tamin played one of his best games,” Otzelberger said.
Off the bench, senior guard Nate Heise scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
Saturday night was the fourth straight game Heise had scored 10 points or more, something he failed to do in the 15 games prior.
“Nate has really stepped up for us over the last few weeks,” Otzelberger said. “He’s been a huge bright spot, as he’s got more opportunities he’s stepped up and really risen to the occasion.”
Also off the bench, senior forward Brandton Chatfield scored a season-high 10 points, had a team-high eight rebounds and brought plenty of toughness and physicality.
“Of everybody that played in the game, [Chatfield] was the most physical guy on the interior, on the glass, rolling to the rim, so as a result he ends up with 10 and eight, but his impact on the game was far greater than that,” Otzelberger said.
Notably, Iowa State didn’t get much production from its three leading scorers.
Senior guard Curtis Jones came alive a bit in the second half after a scoreless first 20 minutes, ending with 12 points, but junior forward Joshua Jefferson and senior guard Keshon Gilbert were quiet, scoring eight and six points respectively.
“Those are the best games for us as a team, when everyone has a role, everyone pitches in,” Lipsey said. “When you get the ball moving, everyone feels good about themselves, everyone feels in the flow of the offense.”
If the Cyclones can continue to play at this level when some of their top contributors are struggling, there is no limit on how far they can go.
