Cyclones Make a Statement: Milan Momcilovic’s Fadeaway 3 Headlines Historic Rout of Kansas
AMES - Every once in a while, a single shot captures the spirit of an entire game. Saturday at Hilton Coliseum, that shot belonged to Milan Momcilovic.
Midway through the second half, with No. 5 Iowa State already flexing its muscle against No.
9 Kansas, Momcilovic found himself in a tight spot. The shot clock was winding down, Kansas’ 6-foot-11 shot-blocking machine Flory Bidunga was in his face, and the crowd was holding its breath.
So what did the Cyclones’ sharpshooting forward do? He faded away and buried a corner 3-pointer that sent Hilton into a frenzy - and sent a message: This Iowa State team is for real.
“I probably should’ve shot it earlier,” Momcilovic admitted after the game. “I was kind of open, turned it down, then I heard the coaches yelling. There were maybe four seconds on the clock, so I had to go get a bucket - and I got some separation.”
Separation, indeed. That bucket didn’t just pad the lead - it punctuated a dominant second-half start that saw Momcilovic pour in nine of his game-high 18 points in the opening four minutes.
The Cyclones turned a 10-point halftime advantage into a 24-point cushion in a blink, unleashing a 20-2 run that Kansas never recovered from. The final score: 74-56, Iowa State’s most lopsided home win over Kansas in program history.
Even Kansas head coach Bill Self couldn’t help but tip his cap.
“That was a big-time play,” Self said of Momcilovic’s fadeaway. “I don’t know that you do anything other than pat him on the butt and say, ‘Well done.’”
Self, whose team had handed ISU a 21-point loss just last month in Lawrence, also pointed to the Cyclones’ relentless defense as a major difference. Iowa State’s pressure and trapping schemes forced 10 Kansas turnovers in the first half alone - a stark contrast to the previous meeting, where the Jayhawks dominated points off turnovers. This time, it was Iowa State flipping the script, outscoring Kansas 19-7 in that category.
“That speaks to us being in front of plays, us being aggressive and proactive,” said head coach T.J. Otzelberger. “I thought our defensive intensity was at a very high level.”
The Cyclones’ signature defense set the tone, but it was the offense - specifically the shot-making - that turned this into a rout. Point guard Tamin Lipsey, who matched a season-high with two made threes, and freshman guard Jamarion Batemon, who added 11 points off the bench on 3-of-6 shooting from deep, joined Momcilovic in lighting up the scoreboard.
Batemon had the best seat in the house for the shot.
“I was getting back on defense, so I saw it all pan out,” he said. “When he got it off, I’m like, ‘Hold on, that might go in,’ and then it just dropped. I’m like, ‘Man, that’s an amazing shot right there.’”
But ask Otzelberger about his favorite moment from the game, and he doesn’t point to the highlight-reel fadeaway. He points to a gritty play early in the first half - a rebound.
Backup big man Dominykas Pleta grabbed an offensive board less than four minutes in, with ISU trailing 6-2. It didn’t lead to immediate points, but it sparked a fire.
“It’s at the top,” Otzelberger said of Pleta’s effort, also praising starter Blake Buchanan. “Blake and Pleta, they were warriors. They controlled the paint.”
And in a fitting twist, Pleta’s third offensive rebound led directly to Momcilovic’s shot-clock-beating triple. Seven seconds after that board, the ball found its way to the corner, and the rest - well, Hilton Coliseum won’t forget it anytime soon.
Otzelberger knows what he has in Momcilovic - a player whose offensive instincts sometimes outpace even the coach’s own judgment.
“I trust him offensively more than I trust my ability to evaluate his shot selection,” Otzelberger said with a grin.
Lipsey, who’s seen plenty of big-time plays in his Cyclone career, didn’t hesitate when asked about the moment.
“That was probably the craziest shot I’ve seen in person,” he said.
For Momcilovic, though, it’s already in the rearview mirror. Iowa State has No. 3 Houston coming to town Monday night, and the Cyclones are locked in.
“It’s next game mentality,” he said. “And we know we’ve gotta take care of that.”
One shot, five perspectives, and one massive statement from a team that continues to climb - and continues to believe.