With a hot start and multiple player contributions, No. 9 Iowa State secured an 84-71 victory on the road against Oklahoma State, marking the Cyclones’ first 18-2 start in program history.
A Cardinal red hot start
After a two-game road loss, which ended with a victory back in Hilton, the Cyclones were nervous heading back on the road for another away game, especially with a snowstorm on the way to Stillwater, Oklahoma.
However, Iowa State was nothing but impressive on the court, clearly over its two-game road loss stint, as after a won jumpball, the Cyclones came out with a bang as senior forward Joshua Jefferson hit the first triple of the game and got the first points on the board.
Not long after, freshman guard Killyan Toure hit the second shot for the Cyclones, once again from deep to move Iowa State to a 6-2 lead.
Junior forward Milan Momcilovic joined in on the fun, as he made the Cyclones’ third shot from deep, bringing Iowa State to a 9-2 lead and never looking back.
Iowa State continued to go on a 12-0 run to end the first half, with Momcilovic leading the offensive success with 19 points after going 6-for-8 from the field. Not far behind was Jefferson, who was 4-for-4 from deep, gathering 16 points to bring the Cyclones to a 51-21 lead by the end of the first half.
Momcilovic from deep
Having highlighted performances throughout the 2025-26 season, such as a 34-point performance in the Cyclones’ 79-70 loss to Cincinnati, Momcilovic continues to shine on the court with another double-digit performance.
Momcilovic ended the game with a team-high of 29 points, alongside seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Momcilovic found the most success from deep as he shot 5-for-9 from behind the arc. He became the fourth player in school history to secure 200 career 3-pointers and has secured 80 triples this season.
Iowa State as a whole shot 42.3% from deep, with Jefferson, Toure and Momcilovic becoming the only players to make at least two shots from downtown. Overall, the Cyclones secured 33 points from their success behind the arc, making up 39% of their overall score.
Buchanan becomes flashy
Known for always being at the right place at the right time, junior forward Blake Buchanan was a consistent player in the Cyclones’ 13-point victory.
With a comfort position by the basket, Buchanan is a player who is always going to be reliable when grabbing rebounds and securing second-point shots.
With five minutes left of the game, Buchanan secured a defensive rebound and passed the ball to Toure; however, Toure missed the driving layup and Buchanan came up from behind ready to grab the ball before the opponents could make a second chance tip-in dunk.
Following the dunk, Buchanan secured a second-chance layup and a second-chance free throw, to end the game with nine points and a team high of nine rebounds.
Although faced with five fouls, alongside Jefferson with the same, Buchanan was a huge contributor in the Cyclones’ success of securing 18 second-chance points in their on-the-road win.
