Iowa State’s Jamarion Batemon (1) drives to the basket past against Arizona State’s Massamba Diop (35) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the second round of the Big 12 Conference tournament Wednesdya, March 11, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Phgoto/Charlie Reidel)
DAVE SKRETTA \ Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Milan Momcilovic scored 21 points, Joshua Jefferson had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and seventh-ranked Iowa State trounced turnover-prone Arizona State 91-42 on Wednesday in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament.
Shortly after the game, Sun Devils athletic director Graham Rossini announced that coach Bobby Hurley’s contract will not be renewed, and that he would be put on paid administrative leave through the remainder of his deal, which ends in June.
Blake Buchanan added 17 points and Tamin Lipsey had 11 for the fifth-seeded Cyclones (26-6), who beat the No. 14 seed Sun Devils (17-16) for the second time in less than a week while advancing to play No. 16 Texas Tech in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Santiago Trouet had 13 points for Arizona State, which was 1 of 19 from 3-point range, turned the ball over 23 times and was called for three technical fouls in a forgettable finale for Hurley after 11 seasons with the program.
Iowa State was so thoroughly dominant that it had built a 45-16 lead by halftime. The decisive blow was an 18-0 run late in the first half, when the Sun Devils earned two of their three technicals on a single disastrous trip down court.
The sequence began as Buchanan was hammered by the Sun Devils’ Pig Johnson on a drive to the basket, a foul that was upgraded to flagrant. Massamba Diop was barking at Buchanan as he stood up and was hit with the first technical, and Hurley quickly earned the second while arguing about the first.
Iowa State made five of the ensuing six free throws, Jamarion Batemon capped the seven-point trip down the floor with an easy bucket underneath and the Cyclones’ comfy 33-10 lead suddenly had become a 40-10 blowout with 2:40 left in the first half.
Iowa State Notes
- T.J. Otzelberger picked up his 22nd win on a neutral court as ISU’s head coach – the third most in school history.
- Otz also earned his sixth Big 12 Tournament win, tying him for the third-most by an ISU head coach.
- Otzelberger has led ISU to 99 wins over the last four seasons, tying the second-best four-year stretch in program history.
- Otz has led ISU to 26 wins this year, the fourth-most in a single season in school history.
- The duo of Milan Momcilovic and Jamarion Batemon has now canned 167 3-pointers this season – the second-most by an ISU duo in school history.
- Milan Momcilovic now has 16 made 3-pointers at the Big 12 Tournament, the second-most in ISU history.
- Momcilovic has made 118 3-pointers this season, tied for the fifth-most in Big 12 history.
- Momcilovic is now 23rd in school history in scoring (1,273).
- Tamin Lipsey eclipsed 300 career steals, becoming the first in school history to do so. He is the third player in Big 12 history to eclipse the mark.
- Lipsey now has 10 made 3-pointers at the Big 12 Tournament, the fifth-most in school history.
- Lipsey also now has 31 assists at the Big 12 Tournament, the second-most in program history.
- Lipsey is up to 64 steals this season, tying for the 15th-most in school history.
- Joshua Jefferson has scored 10-plus points in all 32 games this season.
- Jefferson wen over 500 rebounds as a Cyclone.
- Nate Heise picked up his 100th win at Iowa State.
Up Next
The Cyclones get a rematch with the fourth-seeded Red Raiders on Thursday. Texas Tech beat them 82-73 on Feb. 28.
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