Iowa State basketball defeats No. 2 Houston on Momcilovic jumper – Des Moines Register

AMES – As if almost a foot of snow and howling wind wasn’t inhospitable sufficient, the Iowa State males’s basketball workforce added one other layer of distress to undefeated and second-ranked Houston’s journey north. 
The Cyclones beat the Cougars at their very own recreation. 
Iowa State out-toughed, out-defended and out-played the Cougars in a 57-53 victory to ship one more monster win inside Hilton Coliseum. 
“We now have all of the respect on this planet for (Houston’s) program and what they’ve performed,” Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger stated, “however no one’s going to come back in right here and push us round. No person’s going to come back in right here and bully us.
“Not actual comfortable about being an underdog. Not that we observe any of that form of factor, however no one goes to name us an underdog at Hilton Coliseum.”
Milan Momcilovic, a real freshman who had been held scoreless within the second half, put the Cyclones up for good with a fadeaway jumper over two defenders with 30 seconds remaining. After the Cyclones received a cease on the opposite finish, Momcilovic sealed the sport with a pair of free throws. 
“It’s surreal,” Momcilovic stated of hitting the winner. “It’s a tremendous feeling.”
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The Cyclones (12-3, 1-1 Huge 12) claimed their first signature victory of the season after a non-conference slate that was profitable however featured no distinguishing wins. It additionally will get the Cyclones on the optimistic aspect of the Huge 12 ledger for the primary time this season after opening league play with a loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. 
It began with Iowa State scoring the primary 14 factors of the sport, however the Cougars (14-1, 1-1) pushed their approach again to make it a slugfest down the stretch. 
In the end, Iowa State was capable of finding itself because the final workforce standing to defeat its highest-ranked opponent at Hilton Coliseum since knocking off top-ranked Oklahoma in 2016. 
Tamin Lipsey had a team-high 14 factors whereas Momcilovic completed with 11. 
Houston shot 38% from the ground and dedicated 16 turnovers. Emanuel Sharp led the Cougars with 20 factors. 
The plan, in a tie ballgame with 35 seconds to play, was to get the ball to Lipsey.
“I used to be presupposed to catch it off the inbounds,” Lipsey stated, “and get a ghost display to get to the ring.”
Houston, although, denied Lipsey the ball, forcing inbounder Keshon Gilbert to hit ahead Tre King outdoors the 3-point line. King received the ball again to Gilbert, who noticed the 6-foot-8 Momcilovic guarded by Houston’s 6-foot-1 Jamal Shead simply off the baseline and about 15 ft from the basket.
“We had been lucky popping out that Milan had a smaller man on him, in order that’s form of his spot on that left wing,” Otzelberger stated.
Gilbert fed Momcilovic, who spun towards the baseline and away from the double-team of Houston’s 6-foot-7 J’Wan Roberts to uncork a fadeaway jumper.
Splash.
“We work on that every single day in apply – that last-second shot,” Momcilovic stated. “Clearly, the fadeaway I do lots.
“They got here with the double, however I shot proper over the small defender and it’s a shot I work on every single day. I’m snug with it.”
And it is a shot Iowa State is greater than snug seeing the freshman take – even with the sport on the road.
“The play we had designed form of broke down however as soon as it received into (Momcilovic’s) palms, in that spot,” Lipsey stated, “I‘ve seen him hit pictures like that so many occasions in apply and likewise in video games.
“When that went up, I had a sense it was getting into.”
For a participant whose profession started with six made 3-pointers in his first recreation, it has been an eventful rookie marketing campaign for Momcilovic.
“To see a freshman need the ball, make a shot with that diploma of issue at that time of the sport,” Otzelberger stated, “after which go to the foul line and end the sport is actually spectacular.”
Houston got here into the sport with a well-earned status as one of many extra bodily defenses within the nation. Not solely did Iowa State match their bruising stage, however the Cyclones exceeded it.
“Our guys had been the extra aggressive workforce,” Otzelberger stated. “We performed extra bodily. We had been the extra resilient workforce. We made extra performs.”
Houston not often turns the ball over, however dedicated 12 first-half turnovers and completed with 16.
“We simply form of peed down our leg,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson stated of the first-half giveaways.
Iowa State’s physicality contributed to attending to the free throw line 22 occasions. The Cyclones made 18 of these makes an attempt.
“It was tremendous necessary,” Lipsey stated of the free throws. “It was a very bodily recreation on either side. There have been a whole lot of fouls referred to as and a whole lot of fouls not referred to as.
“It was simply being aggressive on the offensive aspect making an attempt to get to the road.”
The 18 factors Iowa State generated on the foul line had been crucial on an evening wherein the Cyclones shot 38.3% from the ground and had been 3 of 15 (20%) from 3-point vary.
“It’s manufacture factors,” Otzelberger stated. “We don’t wish to be fussy about the place the factors come from. We simply need them to maintain coming.”
The Iowa State teaching employees wore blue ribbons on their shirts Tuesday in help of the Perry Neighborhood. 
Eleven-year-old Ahmir Jolliff was killed and 7 others had been wounded final week in a taking pictures at Perry Excessive Faculty. The shooter, additionally a Perry scholar, took his personal life, based on authorities. 
Blue is without doubt one of the faculty’s colours, and it has been used as an indication of solidarity with the varsity within the days for the reason that tragedy. 
College students throughout the state walked out of courses Monday with tons of rallying on the state Capitol to protest legislative inaction on gun violence. 
Extra:‘Enough with the prayers.’ Students march on Iowa Capitol to demand action on gun violence
The Cyclones will play the second half of a two-game homestand Saturday when Oklahoma State visits Hilton Coliseum. 
The sport will tip at 5 p.m. and be broadcast by ESPN2. 
The Cowboys are simply 8-6 total and 0-1 within the Huge 12 this 12 months, however they’ve defeated Iowa State in three of the groups’ 4 matchups since T.J. Otzelberger took over in 2021. 
It’s the lone regular-season matchup between the groups this season. 
Travis Hines covers Iowa State College sports activities for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or  (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.

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