Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) celebrates with team mates after making a three-point shot during the second half in the Big 12 men’s basketball game at Hilton Coliseum on Feb 8, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
AMES — ESPN’s College GameDay wrapped and Hilton Coliseum roared.
The P.A. announcer bellowed the name Milan Momcilovic as one of No. 8 Iowa State’s five starters mere minutes after the broadcast ended — and the crowd erupted accordingly.
Then the Cyclones did the same, using 71 percent shooting to race to an 18-point halftime lead and an eventual 82-52 lambasting of TCU Saturday before a sold-out crowd of 14,267.
“It was great to get that love from the crowd,” said Momcilovic, who drained a Big 12 season-high-tying four 3-pointers after sitting out a month because of a hand injury. “I really wanted that first 3(-point attempt) to go down. We drew that play up for me. I got too excited but I got it going in the second half.”
Momcilovic missed his only two shots in the first half, but went 5-for-7 in the second to finish with 14 points.
ISU (18-5, 8-4 Big 12) snapped a three-game skid. Leading scorer Curtis Jones — who Momcilovic displaced in the starting lineup — drilled all three of his 3-point attempts and scored 16 of his game-high 24 points before halftime.
“Having Milan back was great,” said Jones, who went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. “He made four 3s, which is big time — and I made five. So it was a good day shooting for both of us, over 50 percent from 3.”
Big men Dishon Jackson and Joshua Jefferson scored 10 points apiece in the first half on combined 9-for-10 field goal shooting. Jefferson notched his ninth double-double of the season (13 points and 10 rebounds) and kept numerous possessions alive with either offensive boards (four) or tip-outs.
“Joshua’s effort on the glass and his focus today was amazing,” ISU head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “He created so much offense for us.”
So did Momcilovic, whose ability to space the floor allows the Cyclones to more readily attack the paint and open up 3-point opportunities.
“Our team has built a dynamic offensively that we work together as five guys to create an advantage, try to get it in the paint, (and) score in the paint,” Otzelberger said. “If you take it away, kick it to 3. If (they) over-close the 3, get to the foul line. There’s rhythm to how we do that and I felt like we were able to reestablish that.”
ISU lost four of seven games in Momcilovic’s absence, largely because of poor shooting and turnover issues. His return remedied the former problem, but ball security remained an issue, as the Cyclones coughed up 15 turnovers. But they also forced 16 — and outscored the Horned Frogs 22-to-12 in points off those miscues.
“They certainly did what they wanted to do,” said TCU head coach Jamie Dixon, whose team fell to 12-11 and 5-7.
The Cyclones never trailed — and when Momcilovic finally drilled a 3-pointer with 16:46 left, Hilton roared again. ISU had built a 51-28 lead and Dixon promptly called timeout.
What happened next? Backup guard Nate Heise poked away a steal and dunked on the other end to eclipse 1,000 career points. Then ISU got a stop and Momcilovic drained his second 3-pointer to give his team a 56-28 lead, all but sealing the much-needed win.
“Just good to be back on the floor with my teammates,” said Momcilovic, who added that he feels 100 percent healthy. “I felt ready to go.”
