This Game-Changing Play Led Iowa State Basketball To Win Over Kentucky

The Iowa State Cyclones could not have gotten off to a much worse start in their Round of 32 game against the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.

Their SEC foes came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, going ahead by as many as 12 points in the early going. Without star forward Joshua Jefferson, it was fair to wonder whether or not the Cyclones had the firepower to mount a comeback.

Led by two more seniors, point guard Tamin Lipsey and sixth-year guard Nate Heise, Iowa State remained composed. The early deficit didn’t faze them, as they stuck to their game plan, knowing they had what it took to get back into the game.

There were a lot of standout performances, but there is one play that sticks out as a turning point for the Cyclones. Trailing by seven with 1:37 remaining in the first half, Milan Momcilovic attempted a turnaround jumper that missed.

One played turned momentum in Iowa State's favor against Kentucky

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic celebrates after a basket. — Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

However, he didn’t give up on the play. Neither did Blake Buchanan and Killyan Toure, who helped not only keep possession alive for Iowa State, but outhustled Kentucky to the loose ball, which Momcilovic would eventually corral in the corner.

The best 3-point shooter in the county would do what he does best: knock down a long-range shot and give all of the momentum to the Cyclones.

Milan Momcilovic comes up with the loose ball and buries a three 🎯#MarchMadness @CycloneMBB pic.twitter.com/RtBm5G0jqn
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2026

That cut the deficit to four points, and Iowa State was off and running. That was a key part in the Cyclones heading into halftime on an 8-0 run, completely erasing a 12-point deficit and taking control as they went into the locker room.

Iowa State would remain ahead for the remainder of the contest. A 3-pointer on the first possession of the second half by Heise pushed the lead to four points, courtesy of an 11-0 run, and complete control was seized.

The Wildcats would hang around for a little bit longer, but the avalanche would continue. And that was exactly what the Cyclones thought would happen if they could stick to the game plan, as revealed in a telling quote from Heise.

Nate Heise said Iowa State identified the chance of Kentucky lying down if the Cyclones took a big lead. ISU outscored UK 51-33 in the second half and forced 20 total turnovers.

"When you get them to that point, it's like 'Let's just be done.' I think that's their mindset." pic.twitter.com/doI6KPlHNk
— Alec Busse (@alec_busse) March 22, 2026

Iowa State knew that if they could get Kentucky behind, they would fall over and kind of surrender. It certainly looked like that was the case, turning what was a 12-point deficit into a 19-point blowout win, on the back of 20 forced turnovers.

While the Wildcats wilted under pressure, the Cyclones thrived behind their experience and talent. Effort is one thing that will never be questioned about Iowa State; they gave it their all from the jump, and when an opportunity presented itself to push Kentucky over the edge, they capitalized.