Milan Momcilovic hits "the shot" in No. 5 Iowa State's historic 74-56 win over No. 9 Kansas

AMES — One stunning shot that led to Iowa State’s most lopsided home win against Kansas — ever.

Five unique perspectives.

So that makes it easy to breakdown the No. 5 Cyclones’ sharpshooting forward Milan Momcilovic’s highlight reel-worthy fadeaway 3-pointer that helped them rout No. 9 Kansas, 74-56, on Saturday at a jubilant, sold-out Hilton Coliseum.

Perspective No. 1:

“It was definitely a cool moment because I hit the shot,” said Momcilovic, who drained the jaw-dropping shot over Kansas’ elite shot blocker, Flory Bidunga, to put the Cyclones up by 20 points four minutes into the second half. “But I really (should) have shot (earlier). I was kind of open. Turned that down and then I heard the coaches behind me yelling. There was, I think, four seconds on the clock so I had to go get a bucket and I got some separation.”

Momcilovic scored nine of his game-high 18 points in the first four minutes of the second half to allow ISU (22-3, 9-3) to stretch a 10-point halftime lead to as many as 24 points. The Jayhawks (19-6, 9-3) pulled within 12 points of the lead yet, but never recovered from a 20-2 Cyclone barrage fueled by hot shooting from Momcilovic, point guard Tamin Lipsey, and backup guard Jamarion Batemon.

And that Momcilovic fadeaway 3 from the corner was so impressive, even Jayhawks head coach Bill Self opined on it unprompted to provide perspective No. 2.

“That was a big-time play,” said Self, whose team beat ISU by 21 points last month in Lawrence to spark a now-extinguished eight game win streak. “I don’t know that you do anything other than pat him on the butt and (say), ‘Well done.’”

Self also praised the Cyclones’ trademark ball pressure and trapping defense, which induced 10 Kansas turnovers in the first half. ISU outscored the Jayhawks 19-to-7 overall in points off turnovers on Saturday after being beaten 17-to-4 in that regard in Lawrence.

“That speaks to us being in front of plays, us being aggressive (and) proactive,” said ISU head coach T.J. Otzelberger, whose team has won three of the past four meetings with the Jayhawks. “I thought our defensive intensity was at a very high level.”

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But back to that shot. Here’s perspective No. 3, from Batemon, who provided a major boost off the bench with 11 points while shooting 3-for-6 from long range.

“I was getting back on (defense), so I saw it all pan out,” the true freshman said. “And I’m kind of thinking, like, when he got it off, I’m like, ‘Hold on, that might go in,’ and then it just dropped, and I’m like, ‘Man, that’s an amazing shot right there.’”

Oddly enough, it’s not Otzelberger’s favorite play of the rousing and historic win. That would be backup big man Dominykas Pleta’s first offensive rebound that came less than four minutes into the game. The Cyclones’ trailed Kansas, 6-2, at the time — and it didn’t lead to points immediately, but it did set a tone as ISU grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the first half to the Jayhawks’ one.

“It’s at the top,” Otzelberger said of Pleta’s board work along with that of starting forward Blake Buchanan’s. “Blake and Pleta, they were warriors. They controlled the paint.”

But back to that shot (again). Without Pleta’s third offensive rebound, it wouldn’t have happened. Momcilovic’s shot clock-defying 3-pointer came exactly seven seconds after Pleta grabbed that board. So here’s perspective No. 4, from Otzelberger.

“The one thing I know is I trust him offensively more than I trust my ability to evaluate his shot selection,” ISU’s fifth-year coach said.

So does Lipsey, who matched a season-high with two made 3-pointers. And he offers our fifth and final perspective on Momcilovic’s momentous fallaway shot.

“That was probably the craziest shot I’ve seen in person,” Lipsey said.

Crazy, but now forgotten — by Momcilovic, anyway. The Cyclones welcome No. 3 Houston to Hilton on Monday at 8 p.m., and the only perspective that matters now resides in the near future.

“It’s next game mentality,” Momcilovic said. “And we know we’ve gotta take care of (that).”

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