- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 390,147
- Reaction score
- 43
MILWAUKEE — Every player who donned the cardinal and gold got a piece of the action in Iowa State's NCAA Tournament opening-round win over 14th-seeded Lipscomb on Friday afternoon at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
The 3-seed Cyclones emptied the bench and left little doubt, demolishing the Bisons in their 82-55 win.
Milan Momcilovic led the way with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Curtis Jones added 17 points off the bench. Joshua Jefferson had another all-around day, tallying 10 points, eight boards, eight assists, three steals and two blocks. Tamin Lipsey had 10 points, three rebounds and four assists.
Iowa State advances to Sunday's NCAA Tournament Round of 32, where it will face sixth-seeded Ole Miss on Sunday.
Here are three takeaways from Friday's win:
Momcilovic was pleasantly surprised when he saw Iowa State's NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday. The Cyclones were undoubtedly in the mix for a high-seed, which they received, but he was pleased to see that March Madness would take them to Milwaukee.
"I think it was a home court advantage for our team in general just because Iowa State is close to Milwaukee," Momcilovic said. "But, obviously, yeah for me − 20 minutes away in Pewaukee − this is the closest game we've had since I've been here in Iowa State, so it's cool to have all the fans come, and glad I could show out for them."
Momcilovic caught fire in the first half and scored 17 of his game-high 20 points before halftime. 14 of those points came during a 22-5 run when the Cyclones took control of the game.
It was also a homecoming opportunity for head coach T.J. Otzelberger and former All-Big 12 guard Diante Garrett, who is now an assistant coach with the Cyclones.
Unlike Momcilovic and Garrett, it wasn't his first time back in Milwaukee since taking over as head coach for the Cyclones. Iowa State also played at the Fiserv Forum in 2022, Otzelberger's first season as head coach, and he guided the Cyclones to a Sweet 16 as an 11-seed.
With Friday's win, Otzelberger earned his school-record fifth NCAA Tournament win as the Cyclones' head coach.
"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," Otzelberger said. "... As far as Milan goes, when we started to recruit him, he was a focal point of our recruiting efforts. We believed he could be someone that could really elevate our program and transcend our program. We haven't had an opportunity to get back here until this point.
"When we heard our name called we'd be in Milwaukee, I was really happy for him. 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."
So, how effective was Lipsey going to be in his first game back after suffering a groin injury in last week's Big 12 Tournament?
It looked like the focus on rest and rehab paid off over the last week. He gave 24 quality minutes in the win over Lipscomb, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He also had three boards, four assists and a turnover.
He drove inside and attacked the basket frequently. His presence was welcomed as a two-way contributor in the backcourt.
"You know he'll lay it on the line and give it everything he has, no matter what you put in front of him," Otzelberger said of Lipsey. "I felt it was a really good sign for our team when you saw him come out, attacking the paint and attacking the rim. That gave his teammates tremendous confidence because they know how hard he's worked over the last week to get ready to play."
NCAA Tournament, win-or-go-home, it was going to take a lot for Lipsey to sit out on Friday. The adrenaline from this time of year was running through his veins.
"Every once in a while, you'll feel some pain or some soreness, but for the most part, you're out there and you kind of forget about it," Lipsey said. "You're in the moment and that's what's so awesome about it. I don't even think about it, as you go out there and play."
Lipscomb had a series of 3-pointers early that helped the Bisons temporarily grab a 16-15 lead with 11:37 remaining in the first half.
That would be the only time the Bisons led throughout the game. Iowa State called time out and emerged from the break with greater urgency on both ends of the court. Once the Cyclones pushed their lead into double figures, they hardly looked back from there.
They limited a strong perimeter-shooting Lipscomb team to just 8-of-28 (28.6%) from beyond the arc. Iowa State worked hard to limit Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Jacob Ognacevic and deny him the ball. Ognacevic eventually finished with a team-high 18 points, but he didn't get going until it was too late.
It also forced 17 turnovers, which turned into 23 points on the other end. In addition to the Cyclones' defensive intent, they complemented it with a strong showing on the offensive end.
Iowa State shot 58.3% overall and racked up 50 points in the paint. Four different players scored in double figures and Iowa State was able to empty the bench and get everyone a piece of the action.
"We knew we would have to be at our best today and really compete," Otzelberger said. "I felt like our guys kept the focus on those areas for the full 40 minutes."
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball: 3 takeaways from Cyclones' win over Lipscomb
Continue reading...
The 3-seed Cyclones emptied the bench and left little doubt, demolishing the Bisons in their 82-55 win.
Milan Momcilovic led the way with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Curtis Jones added 17 points off the bench. Joshua Jefferson had another all-around day, tallying 10 points, eight boards, eight assists, three steals and two blocks. Tamin Lipsey had 10 points, three rebounds and four assists.
Iowa State advances to Sunday's NCAA Tournament Round of 32, where it will face sixth-seeded Ole Miss on Sunday.
Here are three takeaways from Friday's win:
Milan Momcilovic, T.J. Otzelberger and assistant Diante Garrett win in their return home to Milwaukee
Momcilovic was pleasantly surprised when he saw Iowa State's NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday. The Cyclones were undoubtedly in the mix for a high-seed, which they received, but he was pleased to see that March Madness would take them to Milwaukee.
"I think it was a home court advantage for our team in general just because Iowa State is close to Milwaukee," Momcilovic said. "But, obviously, yeah for me − 20 minutes away in Pewaukee − this is the closest game we've had since I've been here in Iowa State, so it's cool to have all the fans come, and glad I could show out for them."
Momcilovic caught fire in the first half and scored 17 of his game-high 20 points before halftime. 14 of those points came during a 22-5 run when the Cyclones took control of the game.
It was also a homecoming opportunity for head coach T.J. Otzelberger and former All-Big 12 guard Diante Garrett, who is now an assistant coach with the Cyclones.
Unlike Momcilovic and Garrett, it wasn't his first time back in Milwaukee since taking over as head coach for the Cyclones. Iowa State also played at the Fiserv Forum in 2022, Otzelberger's first season as head coach, and he guided the Cyclones to a Sweet 16 as an 11-seed.
With Friday's win, Otzelberger earned his school-record fifth NCAA Tournament win as the Cyclones' head coach.
"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," Otzelberger said. "... As far as Milan goes, when we started to recruit him, he was a focal point of our recruiting efforts. We believed he could be someone that could really elevate our program and transcend our program. We haven't had an opportunity to get back here until this point.
"When we heard our name called we'd be in Milwaukee, I was really happy for him. 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."
Iowa State's Tamin Lipsey doesn't hold back following groin injury
So, how effective was Lipsey going to be in his first game back after suffering a groin injury in last week's Big 12 Tournament?
It looked like the focus on rest and rehab paid off over the last week. He gave 24 quality minutes in the win over Lipscomb, finishing with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting. He also had three boards, four assists and a turnover.
He drove inside and attacked the basket frequently. His presence was welcomed as a two-way contributor in the backcourt.
"You know he'll lay it on the line and give it everything he has, no matter what you put in front of him," Otzelberger said of Lipsey. "I felt it was a really good sign for our team when you saw him come out, attacking the paint and attacking the rim. That gave his teammates tremendous confidence because they know how hard he's worked over the last week to get ready to play."
NCAA Tournament, win-or-go-home, it was going to take a lot for Lipsey to sit out on Friday. The adrenaline from this time of year was running through his veins.
"Every once in a while, you'll feel some pain or some soreness, but for the most part, you're out there and you kind of forget about it," Lipsey said. "You're in the moment and that's what's so awesome about it. I don't even think about it, as you go out there and play."
Iowa State came ready to play on both ends of the court
Lipscomb had a series of 3-pointers early that helped the Bisons temporarily grab a 16-15 lead with 11:37 remaining in the first half.
That would be the only time the Bisons led throughout the game. Iowa State called time out and emerged from the break with greater urgency on both ends of the court. Once the Cyclones pushed their lead into double figures, they hardly looked back from there.
They limited a strong perimeter-shooting Lipscomb team to just 8-of-28 (28.6%) from beyond the arc. Iowa State worked hard to limit Atlantic Sun Player of the Year Jacob Ognacevic and deny him the ball. Ognacevic eventually finished with a team-high 18 points, but he didn't get going until it was too late.
It also forced 17 turnovers, which turned into 23 points on the other end. In addition to the Cyclones' defensive intent, they complemented it with a strong showing on the offensive end.
Iowa State shot 58.3% overall and racked up 50 points in the paint. Four different players scored in double figures and Iowa State was able to empty the bench and get everyone a piece of the action.
"We knew we would have to be at our best today and really compete," Otzelberger said. "I felt like our guys kept the focus on those areas for the full 40 minutes."
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball: 3 takeaways from Cyclones' win over Lipscomb
Continue reading...
