Three Standout Performers in Iowa State Cyclones Blowout Win Over Utah Utes

If the Iowa State Cyclones wanted any chance of earning a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, they knew they had to handle business in Salt Lake City against the Utah Utes, and that is exactly what they did.

The Cyclones were able to slowly but surely exert their will on the Utes. Utah had a few runs during the game, but ultimately Iowa State proved too much to overcome, winning 75-59 for their 24th victory of the season.

Throughout the evening, there were a few eye-catching performances from both teams. Who were those individual players who stepped up and got the job done?

Here are three standout performers from the contest.

Blake Buchanan

Cyclones head coach T.J. Otzelberger made a surprising change to his lineup against Utah. Freshman Dominykas Pleta was inserted into the starting lineup in place of Blake Buchanan, and it was a move that the veteran transfer responded well to.

Coming off the bench for the first time this season, Buchanan had one of his best all-around games of the campaign. In 22 minutes of action, he scored 10 points, making four of six shots from the field and both of his free throw attempts, to go along with three rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocks.

Active on both ends of the floor, the Virginia Cavaliers transfer made his presence felt in every facet of the game.

It will be interesting to see how long Otzelberger maintains this alignment. If Buchanan continues to stuff the stat sheet like this, it could be a permanent move for the duration of the season.

Keanu Dawes

Terrence Brown was highlighted as a player to watch before the game as the offensive hub for Utah. He scored 18 points on only 10 shot attempts with three assists. But he turned the ball over seven times, which is why Keanu Dawes got the nod.

The third leading scorer on the team this season, he had a big game against the Cyclones. He recorded his 11th double-double of the season, scoring 10 points with 12 rebounds. Two assists and one steal were added to round out his stat line.

Dawes was the only player on the team to grab more than four rebounds, controlling the interior for the Utes. He was the only player with more than six boards in the entire game, making his presence felt inside.

Milan Momcilovic

Knocking down 50.8% of his 3-point attempts coming into the contest, the game against Utah is a special one for Milan Momcilovic. That is because he broke the Iowa State single-season record for 3-pointers.

Going four for eight from long distance gives him 104 on the season, breaking the record previously held by Dedric Willoughby during the 1996-97 campaign. That performance also snapped a five-game streak of not knocking down at least half of his 3-point attempts.

Now that he has surpassed the record, attention will turn to just how much of a gap he can put between himself and Willoughby, and how high up the national all-time list he can climb.

Reaching 121 will put him in the Top 100, which is certainly within reach based on his per-game averages, with Iowa State having at least five more games to play.