Momcilovic Helps No. 5 ISU Claim Fifth in Maui

MAUI, Hawai'i – The fifth-ranked Iowa State Cyclones (5-1, 0-0 Big 12) closed out the Maui Invitational with a 2-1 record Wednesday, downing fellow Big 12 school Colorado (5-2, 0-0 Big 12) by a score of 99-71 in a non-conference tilt to claim fifth place in a loaded tournament.

After two hotly contested contests on the islands, Iowa State earned a no-doubter on Wednesday, pummeling the Buffaloes in the teams' first meeting since 2015. Keshon Gilbert was the offensive engine in the first two games, but today, it was Milan Momcilovic who powered the Cyclones.

Momcilovic finished with a game-high 24 points, earning a career-best. The sophomore from Pewaukee, Wis., cashed in six triples, shooting 66 percent from beyond the arc. Momcilovic had 18 first-half points as he helped ISU take a 45-34 lead into the break.

Five other Cyclones finished in double figures on the day, as ISU poured in its highest point total of the season. ISU's 99 points are the third-most in a game under Coach Otzelberger and the most since Dec. 17 of last year. It was the first time in the Big 12 era that ISU shot 60-plus percent from the field and had 10-plus steals against a power-four team. The Cyclones finished shooting 60 percent from the floor, the fifth highest ever under Coach Otz.

Curtis Jones (19) and Gilbert (15) complimented Momcilovic on offense, earning tough baskets in the paint and from beyond the arc. Joining them in double figures were Dishon Jackson, Tamin Lipsey, and Joshua Jefferson, who all finished with 10 points. Jefferson and Jones each had a team-high six rebounds, while Gilbert led the team in assists with six. Lipsey was back to his vintage pick-pocketing, earning four swipes.

Two Buffaloes finished in double figures, as Julian Hammond III had 20 and Andrej Jakimovski had 18. CU's Trevor Baskin had a game-best eight rebounds. The Buffs ended up shooting 42 percent from both the field and beyond the arc, as well as an elite 94 percent from the charity stripe, but 18 turnovers and ISU's 37 points off of them proved to be too much.

How it Happened
Just 15 hours after playing a barn-burner against Dayton, ISU found itself back in the Lahaina Civic Center to face Colorado in the first of at least three meetings this year for a chance to earn fifth place at the Maui Invitational.

Colorado had the advantage for the first four minutes, jumping out to an early three-point lead and earning some quality looks against ISU's vaunted defense. After the first media timeout, the Cyclones regrouped, overcame the deficit, and eventually pushed out to a six-point lead.

After six minutes holding control of the game, the Buffs responded with a run and took a 22-20 lead at the 8:45 mark. From there, though, it was all Cyclones, as Iowa State tied it up with a Gilbert lay-in and went ahead with another Gilbert basket and never looked back.

ISU completed a dominant back-half of the first stanza, finishing on a 25-12 run to take an 11-point lead into the break. Momcilovic led all players with 18 points, as ISU had 20 points off of Colorado turnovers in the first half.

The second half was much of the same for the Cyclones, as the 11-point lead would balloon to as much as 22 with just over a minute remaining. ISU finished the game, having led for over 31 minutes, and earned their second win in Maui and fifth of the year.

Key Performer
Milan Momcilovic dropped a career-best 24 points, scoring 18 first-half points to set the tone for the Cyclones. Momcilovic had six triples on the day, tying a career-best which he achieved prior in his first-ever collegiate game against Green Bay.

Notes

Nate Heise grabbed his 100^th career steal today and now sits at 101.
Dishon Jackson went over 1,800 career minutes played.
Joshua Jefferson eclipsed 250 career boards.
- He also claimed his 150th career basket.
Tamin Lipsey started his 75th career game as a Cyclone.
- He is now one offensive board shy of 100.
Curtis Jones earned his 500th point in a Cyclone uniform and now has 505 in cardinal and gold.
Keshon Gilbert went over 600 points at ISU and now sits at 606.
Milan Momcilovic now has 77 career triples, going over 75 today.
- He's one assist shy from 50 for his career.

Up Next
Iowa State will return to the Midwest following a 2-1 record in Maui to prepare for a premier non-conference game on Wednesday against No. 10 Marquette. The Cyclones and Golden Eagles will meet as part of the Big 12/BIG EAST Battle and tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. with the game being set to stream on ESPN+.

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Team Stats

Milan Momcilovic

Curtis Jones

Keshon Gilbert

Dishon Jackson

Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Nate Heise

Dishon Jackson

Joshua Jefferson

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

Players Mentioned

Keshon Gilbert

Nate Heise

Dishon Jackson

Joshua Jefferson

Curtis Jones

Tamin Lipsey

Milan Momcilovic

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics