No. 7 Iowa State built a big enough cushion to withstand a late Baylor surge, holding on for a 72-69 win Saturday despite going scoreless over the final 2:12.
The Bears closed on an 11-0 run in the final 1:45, but Iowa State led for more than 30 minutes and never relinquished control until the closing moments. The Cyclones (21-2, 8-2 Big 12) were tied for 4:54 and trailed for just five minutes.
Iowa State won the game inside, scoring 24 points in the paint in the second half — matching Baylor’s total for the game — and outrebounding the Bears 37-25.
Milan Momcilovic scored 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting and went 7 for 7 from the free-throw line to lead the Cyclones. Joshua Jefferson added 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. Nate Heise scored eight points, making two 3-pointers.
Senior guard Tamin Lipsey grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, including four offensive boards, to help Iowa State control the tempo.
“Tamin was phenomenal today,” Iowa State Head Coach T.J. Otzelberger said on the Cyclone Radio Network. “He was everywhere. He’s tough, competitive and deeply invested in this team, this program and this university. Those plays he keeps making are who he is.”
Iowa State opened the game with six early points before Baylor answered with a 7-2 run ahead of the under-16 media timeout. The Cyclones’ 19-13 lead with 11:33 left in the first half disappeared in 87 seconds after consecutive 3-pointers by the Bears’ Cameron Carr.
Baylor (13-10, 3-8 Big 12) stayed close by hitting 11 3-pointers. Carr scored a game-high 24 points, including five from beyond the arc. The Bears took their largest lead, 27-24, at the 7:23 mark of the first half on a 3-pointer by Tounde Yessoufou, who made two from long range.
James Nnaji, the 31st overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, was held scoreless with three rebounds in nine minutes.
The Cyclones pushed the lead to a game-high 15 with 3:05 remaining in the second half and finished shooting 50% from the field (27 of 50).
Despite the late push by Baylor, Iowa State sealed the victory with a clean inbounds play to close out the game.
Next time: Iowa State returns to action Tuesday at TCU, with tipoff set for 8 p.m. in Fort Worth, Texas.
