Iowa State fell behind early and could not recover in a 79–70 loss to Cincinnati on Saturday, marking the Cyclones’ second straight defeat after a 16–0 start to the season. The Bearcats controlled the first half with hot perimeter shooting, hitting four 3‑pointers in a row during a 14–2 run that pushed them ahead 19–10. Iowa State closed the gap with a 7–0 burst before halftime, trimming the deficit to 35–31.
Cincinnati regained command immediately after the break, opening the second half on a 7–0 run and making six consecutive field goals to stretch the lead back to double digits. Turnovers plagued the Cyclones all afternoon as the Bearcats converted 20 points off 10 Iowa State giveaways.
Milan Momcilovic sparked a late push, scoring 26 second‑half points and hitting five of six attempts from beyond the arc. His shooting helped Iowa State cut what had been a 17‑point deficit down to five with just over three minutes remaining. But Cincinnati responded with timely midrange jumpers and an uncontested layup in the final minutes to restore a double‑digit margin.
With no timeouts left and their offense stalling, the Cyclones had no choice but to foul as the Bearcats closed out the win from the free throw line. Four players scored in double figures for Cincinnati with Day Day Thomas leading the way with 19 points.
