Feb 22, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) grabs a rebound against Houston Cougars guard Milos Uzan (7) in the first half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
AMES — It’s all about the mismatches.
Iowa State typically tries to create those advantageous situations via an array of pick and roll-based actions, but Saturday’s game at Houston required a short-term paradigm shift.
The No. 9 Cyclones — down their two leading scorers in guards Keshon Gilbert (muscle strain) and Curtis Jones (illness) — instead sought to isolate tall and talented players such as Milan Momcilovic one-on-one against smaller guards. That gambit helped ISU (21-6, 11-5) cut a 16-point deficit to just one before the fourth-ranked Cougars (23-4, 15-1) recovered and eventually secured a 68-59 home win.
“(It was) brilliant,” Houston’s veteran head coach Kelvin Sampson told reporters after the game. “People think iso-ball, there’s a negative connotation to it, (but) sometimes it’s the best way to win the game.”
Next up for ISU: Struggling Oklahoma State (13-14, 5-11) at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Stillwater.
It’s unclear if Gilbert and/or Jones will be back to face the Cowboys, so the Cyclones’ ability to make adjustments will continue to loom large at Gallagher-Iba Arena and beyond, which should reap positive dividends as the regular season winds down.
“I was definitely happier with my second-half performance (at Houston),” said Momcilovic, who went 0-for-7 from the field in the first half before efficiently scoring 16 points in the second. “So to just come back in the second half kind of with a mental reset — just forget about that first half and focus on the second half. I made some shots, but ultimately it wasn’t enough.”
No shame in that. ISU forced a season-high 17 turnovers from the Cougars and outscored them 11-to-3 on those mistakes during its second-half surge. None of that allowed the short-handed Cyclones to score the upset, of course, but it did serve as another example of their cohesiveness and grit.
“Our guys could have come into this game feeling like we were down a couple players, or we were a victim, or things weren’t gonna go our way,” ISU head coach T.J. Otzelberger said on the Cyclone Radio Network after the game. “What I learned (about) is the mental toughness that we have across the board. Guys stepped up in so many ways. … They care about the program, they care about the product, they care about the fight, the toughness, the competitiveness. I’ll take that effort and that togetherness any night.”
The Cyclones’ “iso-ball” on Saturday also allowed transfer forward Joshua Jefferson to showcase his versatility (again). He, unlike Momcilovic, never got on track in terms of scoring (four points), but he sprayed the basketball to teammates for eight assists and snared seven steals to spark transition opportunities.
“Both coaches (Saturday) really had to work that game,” said Sampson, who also made some key adjustments. “Coach T.J. is awesome. He is one of the best coaches in the country.”
The feeling’s mutual — and Otzelberger can still lean on record-setting guard Tamin Lipsey regardless of his other starting guards’ health status.
Lipsey has played with a fractured thumb for weeks, but that didn’t prevent him from scoring 11 points in key moments at Houston. The junior from Ames went 3-for-6 from 3-point range and also snared two steals to make him ISU’s all-time leader in that area (226), surpassing NBA veteran Monte Morris.
“It couldn’t go to a guy who’s earned it and worked for it more than Tamin,” Otzelberger said.
So bring on the Cowboys, who are 5-3 at home in conference play, and 0-8 on the road.
“Every game is important this time of year,” Otzelberger said. “Every game has tremendous magnitude.”
