AMES — No. 6 Iowa State followed up its big win over No. 5 Marquette with a dominant 100-58 win over Jackson State on Sunday night.

Cyclones dominate on defense

Iowa State flexed its muscle on defense, holding Jackson State to just 58 points. This was the fourth time Iowa State held a team under 60 points this season.

Where the Cyclones excelled most was in forcing turnovers. Iowa State forced 24 turnovers, tied for its most in a game this season. 

Five Cyclones recorded multiple steals in the game, but the player that stood out most was Northern Iowa transfer Nate Heise. The senior guard recorded a career-high six steals, two higher than his previous career-high of four. 

The Tigers didn’t have much luck shooting the ball either, especially in the first half. Jackson State shot just 24.1% from the field and 28.6% from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes.

“I thought our defense was really good,” head coach T.J. Otzelberger said.

Jackson State saw a little more success in the second half, shooting 52% from the field and 37.5% from 3-point range, but it was not nearly enough. 

Iowa State reaches the 100-point mark

The Cyclones may have been good on defense, but they were even better on the offensive side of the ball.

Iowa State reached the 100-point mark for the first time this season, after falling one point short earlier in the season against Colorado at the Maui Invitational. 

This was the first time Iowa State scored in triple digits since Dec. 10, 2023, in a 107-56 win over Prairie View.

It was a total team effort on offense for the Cyclones, with five players scoring in double figures. 

“I feel like a lot of guys could’ve gained confidence today,” senior guard Curtis Jones said. “There’s nothing like seeing the ball go through the net.”

It was Jones who led Iowa State in scoring off the bench. Jones scored 19 points, shooting 6-for-12 from the field and 5-for-10 from 3-point range. 

Sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic wasn’t far behind, scoring 18 points. Momcilovic was very efficient at shooting the ball. He shot 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-6 from 3-point range. 

Senior guard Keshon Gilbert kept his strong run of games going. Gilbert scored 16 points, going 6-for-9 from the field and 1-for-3 from 3-point range. 

It was the fifth consecutive game Gilbert scored 15 points or more. 

The frontcourt duo of Dishon Jackson and Joshua Jefferson also put together strong performances. 

“They’re very skilled players,” Otzelberger said. “They’re cerebral, they’re smart, they have good hands, instincts and a natural feel for scoring.”

Jackson scored a season-high 17 points, going 4-for-4 from the field and 9-for-11 from the free throw line. 

Jefferson scored 10 points while shooting 40% from the field and secured a season-high 13 rebounds. This was Jefferson’s second consecutive game with a double-double. 

“We continued to execute what our coaches want,” Jefferson said.