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MILWAUKEE – Milan Momcilovic stared at the basket a brief moment before running back on defense, slightly shaking his head. The rim can be unforgiving in March. Mystifying. Even when it’s in your hometown gym.
The former Pewaukee High standout saw just how temperamental the rim can be in his homecoming this weekend for the NCAA tournament. Two days after his scorching shooting led Iowa State to the second round, Momcilovic couldn’t find the net in No. 6 Iowa State’s 91-78 loss Sunday night to No. 6 Mississippi at Fiserv Forum.
The Cyclones’ sophomore forward shot just 2 of 12 from the field, including 1 of 8 behind the three-point arc. He lingered a moment, but only for a moment, after his sixth three-pointer clanged off the rim despite an open look early in the second half. Momcilovic finally drained his first three-pointer from the left corner with less than 5 minutes left, avoiding going scoreless from beyond the arc for only the third time this season.
Momcilovic had plenty of company. Iowa State shot 48% from the field, but only 8 of 22 (36%) from behind the arc. The final numbers don't show how much the Cyclones struggled shooting. Iowa State was just 3-of-11 from behind the three-point line in the first half.
BOX SCORE: Mississippi 91, Iowa State 78
The Cyclones were also just 15-of-23 from the free-throw line, emphasizing their overall shooting woes.
Without second-leading scorer Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State needed a complementary cast – including Momcilovic – to pick up the scoring burden to advance far in this tournament. The sophomore responded in Friday’s first-round win against No. 14 Lipscomb with 20 points, his second most this season. he shot 8-of-14 from the field Friday, including 4-of-8 from three.
Momcilovic finished with just 5 points against the Rebels. It was his fewest in a game since Feb. 11.
The rim wasn’t so unkind when Iowa State was on defense. Mississippi shot a blistering 58% from the field, including a matching 58% from three.
After trailing 15-8 with 14:27 left, the Rebels seized control with an extended 20-2 run over the next 6:23. The stretch ended with Mississippi taking a 28-17 lead with 8:24 left in the half.
The Cyclones cut their deficit to 43-34 on a free throw from Joshua Jefferson with 18:21 left, but Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield answered with a layup on the next possession. Iowa State wouldn’t pull within single digits again.
With the win, Mississippi advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. The Rebels were the second SEC program to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 on Sunday night in Milwaukee, joining Kentucky. The No. 3 Wildcats beat No. 6 Illinois in the first game of a doubleheader inside Fiserv Forum.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rims are unkind to Iowa State as it falls to Mississippi
Continue reading...
The former Pewaukee High standout saw just how temperamental the rim can be in his homecoming this weekend for the NCAA tournament. Two days after his scorching shooting led Iowa State to the second round, Momcilovic couldn’t find the net in No. 6 Iowa State’s 91-78 loss Sunday night to No. 6 Mississippi at Fiserv Forum.
The Cyclones’ sophomore forward shot just 2 of 12 from the field, including 1 of 8 behind the three-point arc. He lingered a moment, but only for a moment, after his sixth three-pointer clanged off the rim despite an open look early in the second half. Momcilovic finally drained his first three-pointer from the left corner with less than 5 minutes left, avoiding going scoreless from beyond the arc for only the third time this season.
Momcilovic had plenty of company. Iowa State shot 48% from the field, but only 8 of 22 (36%) from behind the arc. The final numbers don't show how much the Cyclones struggled shooting. Iowa State was just 3-of-11 from behind the three-point line in the first half.
BOX SCORE: Mississippi 91, Iowa State 78
The Cyclones were also just 15-of-23 from the free-throw line, emphasizing their overall shooting woes.
Without second-leading scorer Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State needed a complementary cast – including Momcilovic – to pick up the scoring burden to advance far in this tournament. The sophomore responded in Friday’s first-round win against No. 14 Lipscomb with 20 points, his second most this season. he shot 8-of-14 from the field Friday, including 4-of-8 from three.
Momcilovic finished with just 5 points against the Rebels. It was his fewest in a game since Feb. 11.
The rim wasn’t so unkind when Iowa State was on defense. Mississippi shot a blistering 58% from the field, including a matching 58% from three.
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After trailing 15-8 with 14:27 left, the Rebels seized control with an extended 20-2 run over the next 6:23. The stretch ended with Mississippi taking a 28-17 lead with 8:24 left in the half.
The Cyclones cut their deficit to 43-34 on a free throw from Joshua Jefferson with 18:21 left, but Rebels forward Jaemyn Brakefield answered with a layup on the next possession. Iowa State wouldn’t pull within single digits again.
With the win, Mississippi advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. The Rebels were the second SEC program to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16 on Sunday night in Milwaukee, joining Kentucky. The No. 3 Wildcats beat No. 6 Illinois in the first game of a doubleheader inside Fiserv Forum.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rims are unkind to Iowa State as it falls to Mississippi
Continue reading...
