Joshua Jefferson's triple-double helps No. 3 Iowa State handle West Virginia, 80-59

AMES — Joshua Jefferson drove across the wing, then served up the basketball as if on a platter.

Who grabbed it?

His sharpshooting Iowa State teammate, Milan Momcilovic, who knew his potential career-high-tying eighth 3-pointer came with history attached late in Friday’s 80-59 Big 12 season-opening win over West Virginia at Hilton Coliseum.

“Man, a lot of (pressure),” said Momcilovic, whose momentous final 3-ball gave Jefferson his first career triple-double as the No. 3 Cyclones improved to 14-0 for the second time in program history. “Because the possession previous, I passed (it) down. We still got a good look. (Nate) Heise had a layup but missed it, though, so I knew I needed to get it back, and I got it back.”

Momcilovic scored a game-high 26 points and shot 8-for-10 from beyond the arc. Jefferson compiled a 10-point, 10-rebound, and 10-assist night to become the first ISU player to record a triple-double since Keshon Gilbert accomplished the feet almost two years ago to the day.

“It feels pretty good,” said Jefferson, who’d notched five double-doubles in the first 13 games of the season. “Just playing off what the defense gives me is what happened tonight. So I wasn’t trying to do anything; just playing to my strengths and playing to what they’re giving me.”

Early on, the Mountaineers (9-5, 0-1) simply gave Jefferson and all of the Cyclones a hard time. West Virginia made six of its first seven field goal attempts and took a 19-15 lead before a turning point emerged. The sellout crowd of 14,267 rose to its feet to exhort their team to get back on track — and backup guard Jamarion Batemon responded with back-to-back. 3-pointers that put the Cyclones up, 21-19. It was part of a 26-9 run to close the first half and ISU maintained at least a nine point lead thereafter.

“We know we’re not gonna play perfect every night, or we’re gonna have moments where things don’t go as well, but we know we can count on our fans,” Cyclone head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “And that energy — Jamarion hits the 3 — and that energy, he can feel it. Now one comes back the other way and I felt like I was watching (former ISU great) Tyrus McGee from the old days, right? He’s coming right in off the bench and it’s that instant production. So really grateful for our fans and appreciative of our fans, because their enthusiasm and energy really pushed us through some challenging times there.”

The Cyclones shot 13-for-25 from 3-point range to help offset holding a mere 17-to-15 edge in points off turnovers. ISU also set a tone on the glass early by recording nine live ball offensive rebounds in the first half — one of which ended in a Jefferson to Momcilovic connection for a long 3-pointer during that closing run.

“We start practice every day with what we call hammers and daggers, which is go to the offensive glass, (get) two-handed rebounds, and if you have a direct alley or lane to the basket to finish it, do that,” Otzelberger said. “If not, let’s look for the kick-out, and it’s probably as good a time as any to try to find Milan and get him a great look. … Those are demoralizing plays. On the other side of it, those are ones that can break your psyche.”

Or, as West Virginia’s first-year head coach Chase Hodge put it …

“They make you pick your poison,” he said.

There’s a lot to choose from, too. Blake Buchanan added 14 points and six rebounds for the Cyclones, who seek their first 15-0 start in program history Wednesday at Baylor. Tamin Lipsey has 12 points and five assists, while Batemon sprinkled in nine points on flawless 3-point shooting.

And Heise — despite that missed contested layup — had the second highest plus-minus thing on ISU at plus-22. All of which points to what makes this team’s potential among the nation’s best. If something lags, something else ratchets up, as teammates pick each other up, just as Momcilovic did for Jefferson’s historic 10th assist.

“(They) have great chemistry together,” Otzelberger said. “(Jefferson’s) definitely looking for Milan and has a belief in him, and Milan’s definitely honoring that by being aggressive, hunting those opportunities and producing.”

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