AMES – No. 8 Iowa State (19-2, 6-2 Big 12) jumped out to a 30-4 lead and never looked back in a 97-67 victory over Colorado (12-9, 2-6 Big 12) Thursday night in Hilton Coliseum.
It was another fast start for the Cyclones. ISU led at the break 52-29 for its second-straight 50-point first half and second consecutive 23-point or more halftime lead to remain unbeaten at home (12-0).
Iowa State was led by its usual stars. Milan Momcilovic poured in 16 points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and was joined by five other players in double-figure scoring, including Tamin Lipsey (14) and Joshua Jefferson (13).
Lipsey and Jefferson each had five dimes, and Jefferson grabbed eight boards.
The Cyclones also got a major boost from their bench. Jamarion Batemon led all Cyclones with 17 points behind 4-of-6 shooting from downtown and Dominykas Pleta tied his career best with 12 points (4-4 FG, 4-4 FT) to help the Cyclones outscore the CU bench, 40-17.
ISU shot above 60 percent from the field (61.4 pct.) for the second time this season.
CU’s Isaiah Johnson led all players with 24 points.
How it Happened
You couldn’t have scripted a better start for an Iowa State fan. The Cyclones led 30-4 at the 12-minute mark of the first half, connecting on 11-of-14 shots while holding the Buffs to 1-of-9 shooting.
ISU knocked down 5-of-its-first-6 shots from downtown in the early going, including a pair from Batemon, who converted his second triple into a 4-point play.
The Buffs didn’t get rattled, however, mounting a 12-4 run to close the gap to 34-16. Barrington Hargress and Johnson hit 3-pointers during the stretch.
CU briefly cut the lead to 16 points, but the Cyclones promptly went on an 8-0 run and eventually went into the half with a 52-29 lead.
Batemon had 12 points, and Milan Momcilovic tallied 11 points to help the Cyclones shoot 62.5 percent in the first half.
A Momcilovic 3-pointer, his third of the game, gave the Cyclones a 27-point lead (60-33) in the early moments of the second half. The lead grew to 30 points at 69-39 with 13:35 remaining when Pleta scored on a conventional 3-point play followed by a Momcilovic runner.
Iowa State led by as many as 37 points, and the Buffs never threatened the rest of the way.
Key Performer
Head coach T.J. Otzelberger always talks about players making winning plays, and that’s what Nate Heise did tonight. He only scored eight points, but he made his mark in other ways by keeping possessions alive and controlling the glass. His eight boards equaled the Cyclone high, and he also had four assists.
Notes
Iowa State went 6-2 in January for the second-straight year, the best January record under T.J. Otzelberger.
T.J. Otzelberger earned his 71st home win, the fifth-most home wins in ISU history and the third-most in Hilton Coliseum history.
Iowa State’s 48 Big 12 wins since 2021-22 are the third-most in the league.
Tamin Lipsey started his 121st game at Iowa State, tied for the fifth-most in program history.
He earned his 88th win at ISU, tying Melvin Ejim for the fifth-most in ISU history.
He also moved to 21st place in scoring in school history, passing Loren Meyer.
Milan Momcilovic moved to 12th on the ISU single-season 3-pointer list, canning his 83rd of the season on the night (passing Jake Sullivan – 2004).
Momcilovic also moved to 30th on the all-time ISU scoring list as he is up to 1,116.
Nate Heise eclipsed 1,200 career points.
Up Next
Iowa State travels to Kansas State on Sunday (Feb. 1). Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. on Fox.
