In Sin City, Iowa State’s resolve shone through in a high-stakes game vs. a top 15 opponent.
Iowa State defeated St. John’s 83-82 on Monday in the Cyclones’ first game of the Player’s Era Festival Monday afternoon. The Cyclones improve 5-0 with the victory as St. John’s suffers its second loss of the season in defeat.
Cyclone junior Milan Momcilovic was the star for Iowa State. The junior contributed 23 points, including five made 3-pointers. All-Big 12 forward Joshua Jefferson contributed 17 points and eight rebounds with three assists for Iowa State.
Senior Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey had 16 points and five assists, but the emerging storyline for the team captain is a potential left groin injury. Lipsey left the game with about 2:00 remaining in the second half. He appeared to aggravate his groin on dribble drive before hobbling around a screen on the defensive end. After a made shot by St. John’s guard Oziyah Sellers, Lipsey crumbled to the hardwood where trainers tended to him. He later went back to the locker room and did not return to the game.
Each team has two games remaining in the Vegas-based event.
STRONG SHOOTING START
Iowa State jumped out to an early 9-7 advantage against the Johnnies. The Cyclone started the game 4-of-5 from the floor, including a nasty step-back 3-pointer from Tamin Lipsey, who observed his floored defender from beyond the arc as his shot ripped the net.
Iowa State’s 4-of-5 shooting start improved to 8-of-11 from the floor as the Cyclones opened a 23-13 lead with five of those points coming off of St. John’s turnovers. Factor in nine points from three made 3-pointers and the Cyclones were up 10 in the midst of the first half.
Cyclone junior Milan Momcilovic was the Cyclone’s star in the first half. Before a buzzer-beating heave missed too strong, the All-Big 12 hopeful was a lights-out 3-of-4 from beyond the 3-point arc. Two of Momcilovic’s first-half triples came off side-step opportunities where he separated from his defender before lofting the shot.
It’s those 3-point attempts the Cyclone coaching staff wants to see more of this season from Momcilovic, who passed on that kind of shot before sinking the two referenced triples above to help him record 13 points in the first half.
ST. JOHN’S OPENS LEAD ON SPECIAL TEAMS
Iowa State led St. John’s 25-15 with 8:53 remaining in the first half, but St. John’s was able to flip the score in their favor by the break. The Johnnies opened a five-point lead with just under 3:00 remaining in the first half.
In the final 9:00 of the first half, St. John’s 94-foot defensive pressure led to some frustrating offensive possessions for the Cyclones, who also struggled at the rim in the first half, going just 5-of-11 on layup attempts.
St. John’s also saw the game swing in its favor with 12 second-chance points, nine points off turnovers and five fastbreak points. Iowa State’s defense turned St. john’s over just three times in the first half, which also led to the Cyclones seeing the game favor the Johnnies before the teams went to the locker rooms.
BATTLE UPFRONT
Physicality and effort were apparent amongst the frontcourts between each team throughout the contest. Each team’s stars had sunshine-bright moments.
Iowa State forward Joshua Jefferson continues to prove himself as one of the best-kept secrets in college basketball.
Jefferson’s productivity in the first couple of weeks of the season is matched by only Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, who looks like a lock to be a top-three pick in the NBA Draft and is a potential All-American. Jefferson finished with 15 points on Monday and eight rebounds. He also assisted a few times for the Cyclones. Jefferson drilled a wing 3-pointer right in front of T.J. Otzelberger to put the Cyclones ahead 59-53 with about 14:00 remaining in the contest.
On the interior for St. John’s, Big East Preseason Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor showed a Ferrari’s motor throughout the contest. The St. John’s center put a good number of fouls on the Cyclones, who really battled foul trouble in the game’s second half. Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins, the Red Storm’s starting forward, combined to go 16-18 at the free throw line as the game entered the final media timeout.
After struggling for much of the first 30 minutes, Buchanan really started to contribute for the Cyclones in the closing minutes. He converted on two free throws and secured an offensive rebound before a second chance bucket with about 3:00 left. Buchanan also had another tip-in earlier in the game.
On Iowa State’s last full defensive possession, Buchanan had a great contest on an Oziyah Sellers take to the rim. His wall helped force the miss and led to Jefferson’s final rebound of the contest.
UP NEXT
Iowa State plays Creighton on Tuesday in the Player’s Era. The Bluejays lost to Baylor on Monday in their opening round game in Vegas. The Bluejays (3-2) were boat raced by Gonzaga earlier this season.
Greg McDermott and the Bluejays handed Iowa State a loss in a preseason exhibition game in mid-October, but that was without Owen Freeman in the lineup. The Iowa transfer scored nine points on Monday vs. Baylor and has proven to be one of the most efficient scorers in college basketball this season.
Hudson Greer scored 16 points off the bench for the Bluejays in the loss on Monday, while fellow Iowa transfer Josh Dix scored 15 points and had six assists in the loss.
Iowa State beats St. John’s 83-82.
Blake Buchanan with a quality final few minutes and a sensational contest on Iowa State’s second-to-last defensive possession.
Iowa State 83, St. John’s 82
FINAL pic.twitter.com/UXaXBblTnH— Alec Busse (@alec_busse) November 24, 2025