No. 8 Iowa State continues the year of Farmageddon success, handing Kansas State its third loss in a row after a 95-61 dominating performance.
“Problem is that Iowa State is just better, right?” Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang said to K-State Sports. “You guys [media] want there to be something that we could have done differently, they’re just better than we are right now.”
Shared scoring drives first-half momentum
Iowa State came into the Bramlage Coliseum hot in the first half, dominating on both ends of the court to put up 50 points in the first 20 minutes. Their 29-point lead at the half was due to the Cyclones’ strong ability to pass the ball around and take their time to mark successful shots.
The Cyclones led 50-21 at the half, marking Iowa State’s third game in a row where the team had secured 50-plus points in the first 20 minutes.
Against Colorado, the game prior, Iowa State put up 52 points in the first half and secured 51 points against Oklahoma State.
Against the Wildcats, three players in the first half marked double-digit numbers, with senior guard Tamin Lipsey putting up 11 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Redshirt senior guard Nate Heise matched Lipsey’s offensive success with 11 points of his own, and senior forward Joshua Jefferon collected 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.
“He [Heise] is building tremendous momentum right now,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “He’s giving us a whole other dynamic, it’s not just the shot making, but I think it’s the physicality, it’s the production.”
In total, Iowa State had seven players contribute points on the board within the half, contributing to the team shooting 56.3% from deep and 58.1% from the field.
Compared to the Cyclones, Kansas State shot 31% from the field, going 9-for-30, and shot 11% from deep, making one of its nine attempted shots within the first 20 minutes of play.
Offensive depth
Iowa State ended its time in the Farmageddon rivalry with 11 players on the court contributing different offensive opportunities. The Cyclones achieved a 55% success rate from the field, alongside shooting 51.9% from deep and 75% from the charity stripe.
Five players made it into the stat sheet with double-digit points, although coming off a strong half with three players finding momentum and securing double-digit points, the Cyclones only grew their momentum throughout the game.
“It feels great out there,” Lipsey said. “We got guys that are feeling super confident in their shot. Obviously, Milan [Momcilovic] is shooting at a high percentage, Nate [Heise] was shooting great, Joshua [Jefferson] is still shooting great.”
Leading the scoring was Jefferson, who ended the game with 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Not far behind, junior forward Milan Momcilovic got hot from deep to secure 18 points, Lipsey secured 16 points and a team high of nine assists.
Another starter who joined the double-digit category was freshman guard Killyan Toure, who grabbed 13 points and five rebounds. The last two-digit player was Heise, who stayed with his 11 points from the first half, but secured five rebounds and five assists.
“Some teams can say they are connected, but when they get on the court, you don’t see it,” Lipsey said. “So just knowing we are really connected, knowing we have spent so much time together, going against each other in practice, that it will really help us win.”
Off the bench, Iowa State secured 24 points, with freshman guard Jamarion Batemon grabbing a bench-high of six points.
Checking in during the final minutes, senior forward Eric Mulder made his first-ever attempt and points from deep during the season, gathering three points to be added to his stat sheet.
Haggerty becomes bright spot for Kansas State
Gathering their second straight loss, the Wildcats were still able to find offensive bright spots from junior guard P.J. Haggerty, who made up a large majority of Kansas State’s 61-point loss.
Haggerty secured a team high of 23 points against the Cyclones, alongside securing a team high of nine rebounds and three assists played in his 34 minutes on the court.
Although Iowa State’s defense limited his offensive potential and he was also faced with rushed and missed shots, Haggerty was still able to put up six points and four rebounds in the first half. He finished the final 20 minutes with 17 points.
Alongside Haggerty, sophomore guard David Castillo was the only other Wildcat to put up double-digit points. Castillo ended the game with 11 points and two assists.
Iowa State quotes used are provided by Quad-City Times.
