Iowa State basketball has no trouble in win over Eastern Illinois
AMES – Iowa State played its penultimate non-conference home game much like the ones that preceded it.
The Cyclones absolutely dominated.
Iowa State claimed its fifth-straight men’s basketball victory as it nears the end of non-league play with a 80-48 victory over Eastern Illinois on Thursday.
Hilton Coliseum has not been home to any drama generated by its tenant through the season’s first two months as Iowa State (10-2) has won every game at home by at least 25 points. Five games have featured 40 or more points of separation.
It wasn’t Iowa State’s crispest performance of the season, with players undoubtedly eying the forthcoming Christmas break, but it was more than ample to keep the Panthers (6-7) caged for the entirety of the evening.
Curtis Jones led the Cyclones with 18 points. Tamin Lipsey had 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Cyclones while Milan Momcilovic also chipped in with 16 points. Robert Jones had 16 points and six boards.
Eastern Ilinois shot 39.2 percent from the floor and committed 17 turnovers.
Iowa State will now get an extended time off ahead of its final non-conference home game on Dec. 31. That game against New Hampshire will tip at noon and be broadcast by ESPN+.
Curtis Jones stays hot
After a cold start to the season, Curtis Jones has been on fire over the last three games.
The Buffalo transfer went 5 of 9 from distance against Eastern Illinois to improve to 12 of 19 over the last three games.
"He’s knocking the shot down with a high level of confidence," Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger said. "Something we knew he could do bringing him in, and it’s great to see him continuing to climb because I know his best is still yet to come."
The 6-foot-4 guard came to Iowa State as a 36-percent shooter from 3-point range, but struggled to crack 30 percent in his first few weeks as a Cyclone.
After Thursday night’s performance, however, Jones is up to 35 percent on the season from long range.
"I think it’s just been a confidence thing," Jones said. "Getting my confidence back, working every day after practice with the coaches and the managers and getting up a lot of shots and seeing it go through in practice.
"It’s tough mentally going through a slump like that, but the only thing you can do is keep going so I just kept going."
Seven-man rotation
Curtis Jones is just one of two bench players, Jackson Paveletzke the other, who has gotten significant minutes over the last month.
It would appear that Otzelberger has settled into a seven-man rotation with sophomore Demarion Watson and freshman Omaha Biliew slipping out of regular time since the start of the season.
If that rotation continues, it would be the tightest of Otzelberger’s three seasons at Iowa State. The 2021-22 and 2022-23 NCAA Tournament teams consistently went eight and nine deep during Big 12 play.
Otzelberger’s rotation, though, could expand to eight next month when forward Hason Ward returns from injury. Ward started the first three games of the season before being sidelined due to foot surgery.
"It’s important that everybody on our team have a tremendous sense of urgency to get opportunities," Otzelberger said. "As you continue to move forward in the season you need depth, you need more guys – there's foul trouble, there’s injury, there’s everything.
"Hopefully everybody will practice with a high level of competitive spirit and we’ll see where that all lands.”
Holiday layoff
Iowa State players will now have a few days to get off campus as the team will take time off for the Christmas holiday.
The Cyclones won’t play again until New Year’s Eve, when New Hampshire visits Hilton Coliseum. That will leave 10 days between games. Iowa State has had two seven-day layoffs already this season, but the double-digit day break will serve as the season’s longest.
Iowa State players will head home Friday and won't need to report back to the Sukup Basketball Complex until Tuesday, Dec. 26.
"It’s most important to enjoy the time with your family or friends for all of us that are able to go home," Lipsey, an Ames native, said. "Taking a rest with your body.
"Stay in the gym on that break and be ready to come back and get right to it."
After playing their final game of 2023, the Cyclones will begin Big 12 play with a Jan. 6 tilt at No. 10 Oklahoma, which suffered its first defeat of the season this week with a loss in Charlotte to No. 13 North Carolina.
Kayden Fish to seek medical redshirt
Iowa State freshman forward Kayden Fish is out for the season with a shoulder injury, Otzelberger announced Thursday night.
The Kansas City native will undergo surgery next week on the ailing left shoulder.
"That surgery will put him out for the season," Otzelberger said, "and we will then apply for a medical redshirt for him."
Fish has appeared in four games for Iowa State, accumulating a total of 18 minutes.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder should be eligible for a medical redshirt as he will play in less than 30 percent of Iowa State's games this season and none in the second half of the year.
Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him on X at @TravisHines21.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State basketball claims easy win over Eastern Illinois
