The pieces all clicked into place on National Puzzle Day as No. 8 Iowa State (19-2, 6-2 Big 12) delivered a dominant 97-67 victory over Colorado (12-9, 2-6 Big 12) on Thursday night.
Freshman guard Jamarion Batemon sparked the Cyclones off the bench, scoring 17 points in just 19 minutes, highlighted by four three-pointers. Joshua Jefferson filled the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Nate Heise reached the 1,200-point mark in his career, finishing with eight points, eight rebounds, four assists and a steal.
Iowa State showcased its depth with six players scoring in double figures. Milan Momcilovic poured in 16 points, including three triples, while Tamin Lipsey added 14. Killyan Toure and Dominykas Pleta each scored 12 points.
Colorado struck first with a three-pointer from Sebastian Rančík, son of former Cyclone Martin Rančík (1997–2001), but Iowa State quickly took control. The Cyclones rattled off a 21-0 run over the next 4:51, fueled by baskets from Lipsey, Toure, Momcilovic, Jefferson and Heise. Batemon capped the surge with a three-pointer before Colorado called a timeout with 13:35 left in the half.
Isaiah Johnson finally got Colorado back on the board at the free-throw line, but Iowa State answered immediately. Batemon converted a four-point play, Lipsey knocked down a three, and Heise turned a steal into a dunk in a four-second span. After a brief Colorado run, Pleta provided a lift off the bench with multiple baskets, including an and-one following another Momcilovic three.
Batemon scored five of Iowa State’s final seven points of the half, giving him a team-high 12 points at the break. The Cyclones went into halftime leading 52-29, shooting 62.5% from the floor and 53.8% from three-point range.
Toure opened the second half with five straight points, and Jefferson continued to make his impact felt with an assist on a Momcilovic three and four consecutive free throws, extending the lead to 64-37. Over the final 15 minutes, Iowa State’s balanced scoring attack was on full display, with points coming from across the roster.
The Cyclones finished the night shooting 61.4% overall and 47.6% from beyond the arc, capping a complete team performance.
