The Iowa State Cyclones returned to the court for their 12th game of the season, facing off against the Long Beach State Beach at Hilton Coliseum. It had been a week since their last outing, a commanding 78-53 victory over the Eastern Illinois Panthers. While that 25-point win was impressive, head coach T. J. Otzelberger felt the team’s performance left room for improvement.
Star forward Milan Momcilovic shared his coach’s sentiments. After strong showings against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena and the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Cyclones didn’t bring the same intensity against the Ohio Valley Conference squad. The team took those criticisms to heart, and after a week of focused practice, they showed a marked improvement against Long Beach State.
Iowa State dominated from start to finish, cruising to a 91-60 wire-to-wire victory.
### Iowa State Blows Out Long Beach State for 12th Win
The Cyclones seized control right from the opening tip, scoring the first four points and opening the game on a 15-2 run to set the tone early. Their offense was efficient and relentless throughout the contest, shooting 36 of 65 from the field overall and 11 of 21 from three-point range.
Leading the charge was Milan Momcilovic, who poured in a game-high 27 points. Momcilovic was exceptional from beyond the arc, knocking down seven of nine three-point attempts and finishing with nine of 11 shooting overall. Freshman guard Jamarion Batemon also contributed from long range off the bench, hitting two of four three-point tries. Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson chipped in with one three-pointer each.
While Momcilovic and Batemon energized the perimeter attack, the rest of the team asserted dominance inside the paint. Iowa State outscored Long Beach State 48-32 in the paint, controlling the interior battle.
### Iowa State Dominates Inside Against Long Beach State
Joshua Jefferson and Blake Buchanan spearheaded the inside effort. The duo combined to shoot 14 of 20 from the field while scoring 19 and 13 points, respectively. They also recorded impressive double-doubles, with Jefferson grabbing 13 rebounds and Buchanan hauling in 10.
The only offensive area where Iowa State struggled was at the foul line. An issue early in the season resurfaced, as the Cyclones converted just eight of 18 free-throw attempts. Although this didn’t affect the outcome in a blowout win, it is a weakness that must be addressed moving forward. Shooting 44.4% from the charity stripe will be costly as competition stiffens later in the season.
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https://www.si.com/college/iowa-state/basketball/iowa-state-cyclones-offensive-explosion-overwhelms-long-beach-state-beach
