AMES – No. 6 Iowa State (25-6, 12-6 Big 12) dominated the second half in an 86-65 victory over Arizona State (16-15, 7-11) Saturday afternoon in the regular-season finale in Ames.
Iowa State was down by four points at the break, but outscored the Sun Devils, 49-24, after intermission, thanks to a decisive 24-0 run where the Cyclones held ASU scoreless for nearly nine minutes to take over the game.
The Cyclones did it with their patented defensive pressure, forcing 13 of ASU’s 23 turnovers in the final 20 to improve their home record to 49-3 in the last three seasons.
ISU also tallied a Big 12-best 16 steals in the win.
Seniors Joshua Jefferson (16 points) and Tamin Lipsey (16 points) were among five Cyclones in double-digit scoring. Jefferson led the Cyclones on the boards with seven and Lipsey had team-highs in assists (six) and steals (six), the most thefts he’s recorded vs. a Big 12 opponent and a season high.
Milan Momcilovic also had 16 points behind a 4-of-9 effort from beyond the arc, and Jamarion Batemon and Dominykas Pleta gave the Cyclones a boost from the bench with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
It marks the third-straight season and eighth time in school history where the Cyclones recorded 12 or more conference victories.
ASU was 6-of-8 from the field to begin the game to take an early 18-14 lead. Batemon and Momcilovic quickly answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to push the Cyclones out in front at 20-18 with 12:32 left in the opening period.
The scoring dipped in the next four minutes with multiple lead changes, as the Cyclones were mired in a 1-of-11 shooting slump. Batemon then buried a 3-pointer and scored on a breakaway dunk after a steal and assist from Nate Heise to give ISU a 29-24 advantage with under six minutes before the break.
An overall 11-2 run briefly gave ISU its largest lead of the first half at 35-26, but the Cyclones were sloppy to close the half, turning the ball over five times in the final three minutes to help the Sun Devils go on a 16-2 run and take a 41-37 lead at the break.
The second half was a different story. Both teams traded baskets early before ISU mounted its killer 24-0 run.
The Cyclones forced eight turnovers in the first eight minutes of the second half, picking up easy buckets off the Sun Devil miscues. Momcilovic hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Jefferson scored six points in the rally as the Cyclones led 65-45 with 8:31 remaining to put an exclamation point on the game.
Key Performer
Tamin Lipsey had an amazing Senior Day, concluding his final home game as a Cyclone in style. The local product tied for the team high with 16 points, buried a pair of 3-pointers and dished out a team-high six assists. But the all-time steal leader in Cyclone history jumpstarted ISU’s second-half surge with his trademark hustle. He registered a season-high six steals to help the Cyclones force 23 Sun Devil miscues.
Up Next
The Cyclones head to Kansas City to play in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament, March 11-14.
