Cyclones Dominate Arizona State in Record Big 12 Tournament Win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — No. 7 Iowa State rolled to a commanding victory Wednesday afternoon in the Big 12 Tournament, defeating Arizona State 91-42 in the second round.

The 49-point margin is the largest win in Big 12 Tournament history.

Iowa State (26-6, 12-6 Big 12) controlled the game from start to finish and has now won at least one game in Kansas City in each of the past four seasons. Arizona State (17-16, 7-11 Big 12) was held to just 42 points, the first time a Big 12 team has scored fewer than 50 points in a tournament game since Houston did so in the 2024 championship game against the Cyclones.

Iowa State set the tone early by forcing 15 turnovers in the first half. The Cyclones built a dominant 45-16 lead at halftime, tying the record for the largest halftime advantage in Big 12 Tournament history.

The defensive pressure continued throughout the game. Iowa State forced 23 turnovers overall, matching the total it forced against Arizona State earlier this season in Ames. In the two matchups combined, the Cyclones forced 46 Sun Devil turnovers.

Milan Momcilovic led Iowa State with a game-high 21 points, including four 3-pointers. Joshua Jefferson recorded a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Blake Buchanan added 17 points and six rebounds. Tamin Lipsey finished with 11 points, four assists and two steals.

Arizona State’s Santiago Troeut was the only Sun Devil to reach double figures, scoring 13 points while going 9-for-9 at the free throw line. Arizona State guards Moe Odum and Pig Johnson were limited to just eight combined points.

Both teams started slowly, committing five turnovers in the first two minutes before Momcilovic opened the scoring with a layup at the 17:58 mark.

Iowa State quickly built a 7-0 lead and never trailed. A 16-0 run midway through the first half pushed the Cyclones’ advantage to 40-10 with 8:30 remaining in the half.

Arizona State closed the half on a 4-0 run, but Iowa State still took a 45-16 lead into the break. The 16 points allowed were the fewest by the Cyclones since hosting Grambling in 2024.

Iowa State continued to dominate in the second half, outshooting Arizona State by nearly 20 percent from the field. The Sun Devils struggled from beyond the arc, making just one of 19 3-point attempts.