Ames, Iowa — In a dominant performance on Monday night, Iowa State, ranked seventh in the nation, secured an impressive 82-56 victory over Kansas City. Curtis Jones, who came off the bench, was instrumental in the win, contributing 20 points, while Milan Momcilovic added 16 points to the team’s strong offensive showing.
Jones, who served as a crucial sixth man for the Cyclones last season, has now notched at least 20 points in three of his 32 games with the team. Notably, he scored 26 points in a Sweet 16 elimination game against Illinois last spring.
In his second game with the Cyclones, transfer Dishon Jackson from Charlotte made his presence felt by scoring 13 points and grabbing six rebounds. Keshon Gilbert nearly achieved a double-double, finishing with nine points and dishing out 10 assists.
On the other side, Kansas City was led by Jamar Brown, who scored 20 points, while Jayson Petty contributed 12 points to the effort.
In terms of takeaways from the game, Kansas City struggled significantly, now holding an unfortunate record of 0-31 against ranked teams. Despite a promising start where they made their first three shots, they only managed to hit 5 out of their next 23 attempts in the first half.
For Iowa State, this victory added to an impressive start to their season, following earlier wins by margins of 39 and 26 points in their previous games. The Cyclones clearly dominated the second half, leveraging a pair of double-digit scoring runs to secure the victory.
A pivotal moment in the game came early in the second half when Jackson delivered an electrifying dunk that sparked a 13-0 run, pushing Iowa State’s lead to 47-24.
Additionally, Momcilovic’s performance from beyond the arc was noteworthy, as he improved significantly from his earlier game against Mississippi Valley State, where he shot just 2 for 7 on three-pointers. In this matchup, he successfully made all three of his attempts from long range in the first half.
Looking ahead, Iowa State will host IU Indianapolis next Monday, while Kansas City faces another tough challenge with a match against No. 14 Creighton this Saturday.