Mississippi
Iowa State basketball: 4 takeaways from Cyclones’ win over Mississippi Valley State
Iowa State coach TJ Otzelberger takeaways from season-opening win
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger shared his main takeaways from the Cyclones’ win over Mississippi Valley State.
AMES − Iowa State men’s basketball opened its season with a 83-44 win over Mississippi Valley State on Monday night.
The Cyclones had four players score in double figures: Keshon Gilbert (17 points), Tamin Lipsey (16), Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson (10 each).
“I feel like everyone’s getting their groove back,” Lipsey said. “We’re gonna see a lot more shots going in as we play more games, but just the aggressiveness out of everyone, getting into the paint first and kicking out for threes is something we’re looking for and just staying aggressive, I like to see that.”
Here are four takeaways from Iowa State’s victory:
Starting five unveiled, Momcilovic comes off the bench
There was plenty of discussion among fans surrounding what the Cyclones’ starting five would look like. With a new-look frontcourt and a bunch of key returners, head coach T.J. Otzelberger had plenty of options when choosing his starting five.
Lipsey and Gilbert reprised their starting roles, while Jefferson, Curtis Jones and Dishon Jackson earned the nod as starters.
Jones served as the sixth man for the Cyclones last season, and Momcilovic was a full-time starter in his freshman year.
“That group’s had great energy together,” Otzelberger said of how he landed on his starting five. “Curt’s probably, since midway through last season, offensively, has been really good. Milan’s been great in practice as we brought him in as a sub with that group. It’s what we’re going with right now.
“Certainly, we have at least six guys, if not more, that we could easily start and that could change at any point, but right now, that’s the lineup that we feel has given us the best energy to start the game.
New frontcourt looked solid in season opener
It didn’t take long for Iowa State’s new-look frontcourt unit to introduce itself to Cyclone fans.
Jefferson and Jackson were in the starting five, and along with Brandton Chatfield, they accounted for eight of Iowa State’s first 13 points.
Jefferson showed his hustle and dove for a loose ball in the opening moments of the game. He made an impact on both ends of the court, finishing with 10 points, six boards and four steals. Jefferson picked his spots and was efficient scoring in the paint.
Jackson logged nine points, six rebounds and had one block. He had a two-hand slam dunk and showed his athleticism from the low block.
“I think we mesh really well together,” Jefferson said of starting alongside Jackson in the frontcourt. “We play off each other really good. We have a good relationship off the court, so I think it makes it very smooth when we get on the floor and we know what each other likes to play like.”
Chatfield had four points and five rebounds, all on the offensive glass, through 10 minutes of action.
J.T. Rock also made his first appearance since redshirting last season. He played the final three minutes of the game.
“Dishon and Joshua did a good job of getting us started, they’re both really skilled players that can score the basketball − even better than what we saw tonight − was pleased with how they played for the most part,” Otzelberger said of his frontcourt’s performance. “We got to continue to go into them, especially Dishon’s got a good touch in there. Brandt had some nerves early, but he was awesome on the offensive glass.
“Overall, all three guys are really good players and they’re going to have a huge impact for us, but we got to continue to work and those guys will continue to climb.”
A glimpse into pecking order for the rest of the Cyclones’ rotation
Aside from the starting five, and Momcilovic as the sixth man for now, it looks like Chatfield, true freshman Nojus Indrusaitis and Northern Iowa transfer Nate Heise are the other go-to guys off the bench.
Indrusaitis got his first collegiate points late in the first half, scoring back-to-back baskets including a fast-break dunk. Indrusaitis had eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, with an assist.
“He had good energy, he’s a good basketball player,” Otzelberger said. “As a bigger guard, he can really drive the basketball, make plays for himself and his teammates and you saw that there today. He’ll continue to grow defensively.
“It was a good first performance for him as a freshman, our lone true freshman, and he’s continued to build confidence.”
Heise had a quieter night on the scoring end, but played 15 clean minutes on the floor. He only took three shots and finished with three points. He also had a rebound, two assists and made two steals on defense.
Suffocating defense, strong slashing and cold three-point shooting in winning effort
Mississippi Valley State is no offensive juggernaut, but Iowa State flexed its muscles on defense during its two big runs.
The Cyclones went on a 23-2 run late in the first half, a stretch that spanned over nine minutes in which they also forced seven turnovers.
Iowa State also opened the second half with a 20-7 run.
All in all, the Cyclones forced 24 turnovers and converted them into 26 points. They also held Mississippi Valley State to shooting 19-of-51 overall (37.3%), including a 1-for-12 clip from long range (8.3%).
Offensively, Iowa State looked best when it was aggressive in getting to the basket. The Cyclones shot 23-of-38 (60.5%) inside the arc and they got to the free-throw line at a high clip, where they made 22-of-29 foul shots (75.9%).
It was a cold-shooting night from long range though, as the Cyclones shot just 5-of-21 (23.8%) from deep, but the Cyclones generated a lot of good, open looks.
“Lot of things to work on,” Otzelberger said. “Offensively, we practice great with rhythm and flow. Tonight, it felt like the ball didn’t move as well as it needed to, it got stuck at times, so offensively we have to be more intentional about moving it.”
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
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Staff
A wood products manufacturer is set to create new jobs as part of a major expansion.
Carpenter Pole and Piling is investing nearly $5 million into its Wiggins, Mississippi, operation.
The expansion will add 10 new positions and support long-term growth in the region.
“Carpenter Pole and Piling is a true Mississippi success story, and we’re proud to see the company continue investing right here at home,” Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said.
“This expansion in Stone County is creating new opportunities for hardworking Mississippians while strengthening a company that has long contributed to our state’s economy,” Reeves said. “When Mississippi businesses grow, our communities grow with them, and we remain committed to fostering a business environment where companies can thrive.”
Carpenter Pole and Piling produces utility poles and pilings for marine and foundation use.
The project includes construction of a new treatment plant, investment in a 2,600-cubic-foot autoclave and an alternative treatment option to improve production capacity.
The company is also clearing and preparing an additional 20 acres for a new pole storage yard.
Stone County is also contributing to the project.
The company expects to complete construction by September 2026.
The new roles are expected to be filled by January 2027.
Carpenter Pole and Piling specializes in the production of utility poles. It also manufactures foundation and marine pilings.
The new autoclave will increase production and add an alternative treatment option.
This story was created by business and development writer Ross Reily, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more.
Mississippi
CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi
Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.
The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.
A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.
Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.
Mississippi State wins two in Texas
The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.
Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.
Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.
A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.
Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.
Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament
In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.
Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.
Next up
Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.
Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.
Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.
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