Joshua Jefferson scored 20 points and Jamarion Bateman, Milan Momcilovic and Killyan Toure had 11 apiece to lift No. 16 Iowa State to a 102-62 victory against Grambling on Thursday in Ames, Iowa.
Jefferson shot 8-for-10 as the Cyclones (2-0) enjoyed a 54.5% shooting night.
Antonio Munoz was the lone Tiger to score in double figures, contributing 16 points to go with seven assists. Grambling (1-1) finished at 42.9% from the floor.
Tamin Lipsey and Dominick Nelson both had 10 points for the Cyclones, and Lipsey added six assists and five steals. Batemon and Momcilovic drilled three 3-pointers apiece. A Batemon trey put Iowa State in triple digits with 23 seconds to go.
Grambling took a 17-16 lead on a Munoz three-point play with 9:44 left in the first half. Batemon responded with a trey on the next possession and added another off a Lipsey steal moments later, and the Cyclones never trailed again.
Iowa State scored 27 points off 19 Grambling turnovers but stretched its advantage to as many as 41 points in the second half thanks to crisp ball movement in 5-on-5 play, as well.
Blake Buchanan grabbed nine rebounds and Jefferson had eight as the Cyclones finished plus-18 on the glass.
Richard Amaefule scored eight points for Grambling, while Jimel Lane was the team’s top rebounder with five.
Iowa State led 44-30 at halftime behind nine points from Jefferson and timely outside shooting from Batemon and Momcilovic. The Cyclones finished the half on a 7-for-8 tear from the floor.
Munoz paced the Tigers with six first-half points. Grambling committed 11 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
Lipsey provided a highlight-reel sequence in the opening minutes, grabbing a steal near the top of the key and racing down the floor for a layup, finishing the play with a pass fake to decoy a Tigers defender.
He later added a crossover and behind-the-back pass.
Iowa State is 52-6 under coach T.J. Otzelberger when at least four players score in double figures.
–Field Level Media
