ISU Falls in Top 10 Bout at Arizona

Monday, March 2

Tucson, Ariz.

8:00 PM

Iowa State

24-6,11-6Big 12

Arizona

28-2,15-2Big 12

Iowa St.

Arizona

Photo by: Brett Meister Iowa State Athletics

ISU Falls in Top 10 Bout at Arizona

03.02.2026 | Men's Basketball

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Sixth-ranked Iowa State (24-6, 11-6 Big 12) was unable to topple its third Top 5 team of the season as it fell at No. 2 Arizona (28-2, 15-2 Big 12) by a score of 73-57 Monday evening.

The Cyclones, who have now dropped three of their last four and four of their last seven, were held to their lowest shooting percentage of the season in the loss. ISU was held to just a 29.2 field goal percentage, the fourth-lowest of the Otzelberger era and lowest since the NCAA Tournament loss to Pittsburgh in 2023.

Tamin Lipsey did everything he could to keep the Cyclones in the game, as the senior had a team-high 17 points to go with six boards and two assists. Jamarion Batemon had 14 points off the bench, canning four triples, while Joshua Jefferson had 12 points. The Wildcats limited Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic, ISU's top two scorers, to 4-25 shooting on the night.

Jaden Bradley matched Lipsey's 17 to lead all Wildcats. Motiejus Krivas was a force in the paint, impacting multiple ISU layup attempts and finishing with 13 points. Freshman phenom Brayden Burries was held to just 11 points, but had six rebounds, while sixth-man Tobe Awaka had a 10-point, 15-rebound double-double.

Arizona shot 46 percent from the floor as opposed to ISU'2 29 percent. The Cyclones forced four more turnovers than they committed, scoring 16 of their 57 off of giveaways. UA won the rebound war, 40-33, and limited ISU to just 16 points in the paint, far below the 38 per game season average.

How it Happened
The game got off to a sluggish start, as the two teams combined to go 0-10 in the first 2:30 of action. The two teams would then trade baskets, with ISU claiming its one and only lead with 14:37 left on the clock, leading 8-7.

Arizona regained control, extending its lead to six points with just over 11 minutes to go in the half. The Cyclones continued to battle, and a pair of Lipsey baskets and Batemon triple sparked a run that resulted in the game knotting back up at 22-all with 4:02 until half.

The Wildcats put their foot on the gas there, though, finishing the stanza on a 15-3 run to take a 12-point cushion into the break.

That quick spurt from Arizona all but decided the game, as ISU couldn't erase the deficit. ISU was able to get as close as within seven points, but a quick 10-2 run pushed the lead back to 15. UA would lead by as many as 21 points, as it earned a Senior Day win and clinched the Big 12 regular season title.

Key Performer
Tamin Lipsey kept ISU in the mix, leading the team in scoring. His 17 points were his third-most in Big 12 play this season. Over the last six games, which ISU has played five ranked foes, Lipsey is averaging 12.7 points per game.

Notes

Iowa State now has 265 made 3-pointers this season. That is the ninth-most in a single season in ISU history.
Milan Momcilovic has now made the eighth-most 3-pointers in conference competition in Big 12 history (60).
- Momcilovic and Batemon have now made 155 triples this season – the fourth-most by an ISU duo in a season all-time.
Tamin Lipsey has tied Terry Woods for the sixth-most assists in program history with 564.
- Lipsey surpassed 1,400 career points on the night.
- He is also now one board shy of 500.
Joshua Jefferson hauled in his 700th career rebound.
- Jefferson has scored in double figures in 35-straight games, the fourth-longest streak in the country.

Up Next
The Cyclones will close out their regular season this Saturday, March 7, when they return to Hilton Coliseum to host Arizona State in the teams' lone meeting of the season for Senior Day. Saturday's game will be broadcast on FS1 and is set to tip at 1 p.m.