Iowa State Cyclones Cruise To Victory Following Ridiculous Start Against Colorado

The Iowa State Cyclones had a nice easy win against the Colorado Buffaloes following a crazy start.

Jan 29, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Colorado Buffaloes forward Bangot Dak (8) watches Iowa State Cyclones guard Nate Heise (0) score during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones came into the matchup against the Colorado Buffaloes looking to build momentum, and a historic start helped them win their third straight game. 

Following a little bit of a hiccup in conference play against the Kansas Jayhawks and the Cincinnati Bearcats, the Cyclones appear to be back on track. In their two losses, Iowa State did not play well to start games, and this made it difficult for the program to mount a comeback. 

On Thursday night, they might have been down 3-0 to start the game, but what followed was incredible. Iowa State went on a 30-1 run following that. As expected with a run like that, all things were clicking for the Cyclones, and they never looked back. 

In the first half, Iowa State held a comfortable 52-29 lead and was extremely efficient shooting from the floor. As a team, they shot 63% from the field and 54% from beyond the arc. One area that has been key for the team has been forcing turnovers early, and they held a 7-3 lead in that department. 

Bench Sets the Tone Early

Have a Night, Big Dom!#Cyclones | #C5C | @dpleta_ pic.twitter.com/Tnr9ONbYkS

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 30, 2026

While much of the attention for Iowa State obviously goes to their star trio of Milan Momcilovic, Joshua Jefferson, and Tamin Lipsey, this is a team that has some excellent depth as well. 

In the great first half, the team was able to get a really strong showing from the bench unit, and that helped create the massive separation early on. Jamarion Batemon led the way in the scoring department with 12 points in the first 20 minutes, but others helped out as well. Dominykas Pleta totaled seven points and five rebounds. Furthermore, Nate Heise had four points, three assists, and seven rebounds. Overall, it was a near-perfect half for the team, and the bench helped out early. 

Iowa State didn't let up in the second half and cruised to an easy victory. Overall, it was a well-balanced attack on the offensive end, and the defense was elite in this game. The Cyclones continue to be an elite team at home, and this was another really impressive win.

Next up for the Cyclones is going to be an interesting game on the road against the Kansas State Wildcats. While the Octagon of Doom can be a tough place to play, as the name indicates, the team has struggled a bit this year.