Iowa State Cyclones Overcome Slow Start for Fifth Straight Win

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to overcome a slow start to get their fifth straight win.

Iowa State Cyclones guard Tamin Lipsey (3) shoots the ball against Baylor during the first half in the Big-12 men’s basketball on Feb. 7, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones came into Saturday off a nice break from their last game but perhaps were a bit rusty against the Baylor Bears. 

Despite being a significant favorite in this game, the Cyclones did not get off to a great start. Strong starts were something that the team was able to achieve over the last two weeks, with some impressive showings in the first half. 

Iowa State was a bit sloppy with the ball early, and that certainly resulted in the slower start than the team has been accustomed to. Furthermore, some credit has to go to the Bears, who came out shooting the ball really well. Cameron Carr came out looking to be aggressive in this one, and he totaled 14 points in the first half. 

Cyclones Get Going in Second Half

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

It was a strong showing by Baylor in this one, but Iowa State was eventually able to clean some things up in the second half and build momentum. By no means was this the best performance by the Cyclones, but they ultimately got the job done. 

Even though they didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, they were excellent on the glass, limiting the Bears to one shot while creating additional opportunities for themselves on the offensive glass. 

Despite not playing well in the first meeting, Milan Momcilovic was much better this time around. While he didn’t light it up from beyond the arc, he was still able to score in a fairly efficient manner. 

Once again coming off the bench, Nate Heise was a bit of a sparkplug for the team. Even though they didn’t perform well in the first half, it was Heise who provided a bit of a jolt for the offense. The talented guard has been playing well of late, and he has emerged as an x-factor for the team off the bench. 

While it might not have been their best performance, especially down the stretch, Iowa State was able to come away with their fifth straight win. Things are going to start heating up in conference play for the Cyclones in the coming weeks, with a couple of big matchups against the Kansas Jayhawks and Houston Cougars right around the corner. 

As shown once again against the Bears, getting off to a good start and turning an opposing team over seems to be key for Iowa State. With a bit of a slow start once again, it resulted in this one being a bit harder than it needed to be.