LAS VEGAS (AP) — Milan Momcilovic scored a game-high 23 points and No. 15 Iowa State defeated No. 14 St. John’s 83-82 on Monday in the Players Era tournament.
St. John’s had a chance to take the lead after Iowa State’s Joshua Jefferson threw the ball away with 30 seconds left, but Oziyah Sellers missed a driving layup at the other end.
Jefferson made up for his miscue by sinking free throws with 9.4 seconds left.
Big East preseason player of the year Zuby Ejiofor’s 3-point attempt at the end clanked off the rim, and Dillon Mitchell’s put-back at the buzzer provided the final margin.
Back in his hometown, Las Vegas product Jefferson finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Tamin Lipsey scored 16 points for Iowa State (5-0) before leaving with a lower-body injury.
Sellers led St. John’s (3-2) with 20 points, while Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins both finished with 16 points. Mitchell chipped in with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Iowa State came into the game having held three of its first four opponents to 62 or fewer points and ranked 22nd nationally with its scoring defense (62.3 ppg).
St. John’s was averaging 98.5 points per game after scoring no less than 93 points in its first four games.
The Cyclones stormed out to a 10-point advantage by the midway point of the first half, taking a 23-13 lead after hitting eight of its first 11 shots. But a 23-8 surge gave St. John’s a 36-31 lead with 4:25 left in the half.
The Red Storm took a 45-43 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Both teams continue play in the Players Era on Tuesday, with St. John’s facing Baylor and Iowa State playing Creighton.
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