MILWAUKEE — As Iowa State found out that it would be starting off the NCAA Tournament as a three-seed in Milwaukee, it meant that some personnel would be coming back to their home state of Wisconsin.
Head coach T.J. Otzelberger, a Milwaukee native, returned to the city he was raised in and helped coach against the team he had previously coached in the same city and tournament back in his first year with the Cyclones when he took them to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2021-22 season.
“For me, it’s a tremendous honor to be in this tournament and to be able to do that in my hometown, in front of so many people that have had such a tremendous impact on my life, it’s so much gratitude to be able to have this opportunity,” Otzelberger said.
But while Otzelberger would be making his second appearance in Milwaukee with Iowa State, another Cyclone would be making his first appearance back in his home state and that is sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic.
Momcilovic, a Pewaukee native, initially thought that his team wouldn’t be going to play in Milwaukee, but after seeing Iowa State drawn to the Milwaukee stage, he couldn’t be more excited to come back and play in front of a big home crowd.
“I think it’s a home court advantage for our team in general, just cause Iowa State is close to Milwaukee,” Momcilovic said. “But obviously 20 minutes away from Pewaukee, this is the closest game we’ve had since I’ve been here at Iowa State, so it’s cool to have all the fans come and put on a show for them.”
Just like Momcilovic anticipated, the Cyclones put on a show for the Iowa State faithful in Milwaukee, as the Cyclones dismantled Lipscomb 82-55 Friday to move on in the NCAA Tournament.
Leading the way for Iowa State’s efforts was Momcilovic, who, while he didn’t catch fire right off the bat, got it going quickly afterward, as his 20-point performance fueled the Cyclones into the second round of March Madness.
On Iowa State’s first offensive possession, Otzelberger knew that no one other than Momcilovic had to take the first shot to not only get the momentum going but the hometown crowd going as well.
While the shot did not fall, Momcilovic’s confidence was not swayed despite a close battle early on between the Cyclones and Bisons.
“I got a great look that first possession, but didn’t fall,” Momcilovic said. “Just gotta keep shooting, gotta have that mindset and good things can happen.”
Momcilovic’s first basket would end up coming from deep, as he nailed a 3-pointer to give Iowa State an 11-5 lead with 15:10 to go in the first half, which also sparked the crowd to go wild with joy after seeing his first shot go in, especially in his home state.
But as mentioned, Lipscomb continued to battle with the Cyclones during this period, as the Bisons went on to take a 16-15 lead into the under-12 media timeout.
With momentum looking to shift in Lipscomb’s favor, Iowa State needed someone to step up to the plate and take the momentum right out of the Bisons’ hands, and that would come from none other than the Pewaukee native.
“We knew they were going to have their runs,” Otzelberger said. “We knew that they can score in bunches, the way they shoot the basketball and play for one another. Fortunately, our guys had great poise during that moment, there wasn’t panic and we didn’t rush or do anything out of character. And then Milan, truthfully, took over the game.”
The Cyclones would then go on a 14-0 run to capture a 13-point lead over Lipscomb, with Momcilovic scoring 12 of the 14 points..
The first basket of this run would once again come from Momcilovic on a 3-pointer, and after a layup by senior guard Nate Heise, Momcilovic hit Iowa State’s four next shots that resulted in 10 points.
Whether it came from deep or from within the perimeter, Momcilovic found his groove during this 3:20 stretch and continued to be a difference-maker, resulting in the Cyclones eventually pulling away big from the Bisons.
Junior guard Tamin Lipsey has been known to keep his teammates’ hot streaks going by continuing to find them in the best positions to make plays happen, and that’s exactly what happened when Momcilovic caught fire midway through the first half.
“For him being a hometown kind of guy, from this area, is a big moment for him,” Lipsey said. “When a guy is hot, most of the time it’s either Milan or [Curtis Jones], I’m always looking for them to get them more shots to keep them feeling good, feeling confident in their shot and we saw that with Milan.”
Although Momcilovic took a backseat in the second half, as he only put up three points on 1-of-5 shooting from the field, 1-of-4 from deep, his first-half performance played a significant part in Iowa State staying alive in the NCAA Tournament.
On the day, Momcilovic scored his 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, 4-of-8 from 3-point range, while adding five rebounds, two assists and a steal in 31 minutes played.
With one final game remaining in Milwaukee, Momcilovic looks to carry on his strong performance to keep the Cyclones dancing in March in front of his hometown crowd yet again.
“When we heard our name called that we’d be in Milwaukee, I was happy for him,” Otzelberger said. “His family is amazing, they travel all over the country to watch us play. For him to be able to have high school friends, coaches, people that have invested in him to be here to be part of that experience, I’m really proud and happy for him and glad he really embraced that moment and did an excellent job.”
