ISU Dominates No. 25 Baylor in Thrilling Big 12 Home Debut

AMES, Iowa – No. 3 Iowa State (12-1, 2-0 Big 12) commenced its home Big 12 season in dominant style, defeating No. 25 Baylor (9-4, 1-1 Big 12) with a score of 74-55. The 19-point win marks the second-largest margin of victory at home over a top 25 team in the history of the program. The all-time series record is now equal at 25 wins each, and ISU has secured 10 consecutive home victories against top 25 teams.

Having won nine straight games, the Cyclones improved to 2-0 to begin conference play for the second time in four years under T.J. Otzelberger. During Saturday’s match, Iowa State honored the 1999-00 and 2000-01 men’s basketball teams, who achieved back-to-back Big 12 championships, during halftime.

Iowa State clamped down on Baylor throughout the game, limiting the Bears to their lowest scoring output since January 15, 2022. ISU restricted BU to 30 percent shooting from the field and maintained the lead for all but 39 seconds at the start when the score was tied at zero.

Keshon Gilbert recorded his third career double-double, leading the squad with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Milan Momcilovic nailed four three-pointers, contributing 15 points, while Curtis Jones added to the scoring with 14 points off the bench. Dishon Jackson matched his season-high with 10 rebounds, equaling Gilbert’s total, and Joshua Jefferson filled the stat sheet, scoring five points, securing five rebounds, and providing a game-high eight assists.

With two players absent from their usual nine-man rotation, Baylor relied on seven players and found it challenging to establish its offense. Duke transfer Jeremy Roach led the Bears with 16 points, while freshman Rob Wright also reached double figures with 10 points. Josh Ojianwuna, in the post position, achieved a double-double for Baylor, scoring 13 points with 10 rebounds.

ISU ended the day shooting 49 percent from the floor and 48 percent from beyond the arc. The Cyclones’ 10 three-pointers are tied for the second-most in a game this season. Baylor managed to win the turnover battle, forcing 12 turnovers against ISU, while the Cyclones caused the Bears to turn the ball over eight times. ISU was plus-seven in rebounds and outscored Baylor 25-10 in bench points.

How it Unfolded

Iowa State started Saturday’s game 2-2 from deep, sinking consecutive three-pointers to take an early 6-0 lead. From that moment, the Cyclones maintained control, establishing a 10-point advantage just five minutes into the game.

Baylor endured a poor first half, shooting 28 percent from the field and 21 percent from three-point range. Offensive rebounds kept the Bears competitive, as they collected 10 in the first half.

A basket from Baylor with five seconds remaining narrowed the Cyclone halftime lead to eight, with ISU heading into halftime ahead, 33-25. Gilbert led all scorers with 11 points at the break, as Iowa State completed the first half shooting 48 percent overall and 40 percent from distance.

The Cyclones began to extend their lead in the second half, pushing their eight-point advantage to double digits within two minutes. Baylor never managed to close the gap to single digits, allowing the Cyclones to glide to an impressive victory.

Notable Player

Keshon Gilbert fulfilled all the Cyclones’ requirements this afternoon. In addition to leading all scorers, he also topped all players in rebounds with 10. He achieved 50 percent shooting from the floor, making two triples and providing five assists. He played the most minutes for the team at 36 and recorded one steal.

Highlights

• Otzelberger now boasts 82 wins, surpassing Tim Floyd for seventh all-time in program history.

  • His 31 conference wins tie Bill Chandler (1922-28) for seventh in program history.
  • His 23 victories over AP Top 25 teams also tie Fred Hoiberg for second in school history and the second-most in the country over the last four years.
  • His 82 wins in the first four years surpass Tim Floyd for the fourth-most in program history.

• Iowa State has achieved its fifth double-digit conference home winning streak in school history, the first since 2015.
• With one steal today, Tamin Lipsey now ranks sixth all-time in ISU history for steals. He is just one shy of 200 for his career, placing him fifth in school history.
• Curtis Jones reached the milestone of 50 games as a Cyclone.

  • He also surpassed 400 career field goals.

• Keshon Gilbert similarly reached his 50^th game as a Cyclone.

  • He now has over 200 rebounds in an ISU uniform and has surpassed 400 for his overall career.

• Milan Momcilovic, like Gilbert and Jones, also participated in his 50th game as a Cyclone.

Looking Ahead

The Cyclones will return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 7, when they host Utah at Hilton Coliseum. This will mark the fourth meeting ever between the Cyclones and Utes, with the game set to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.