Tamin Lipsey brings 104 career starts for Iowa State into Thursday night’s visit from Grambling in Ames, Iowa.
He says each of them is special, especially after he worked through preseason injury concerns.
Lipsey started his final season with 18 points, five assists and five steals to help the 16th-ranked Cyclones defeat Fairleigh Dickinson 88-50 on Monday.
He will aim to keep his game churning this week and beyond.
“Before the tip-off, I kind of just soaked it all in, remembering it’s my senior year and it’s kind of crazy to think about,” Lipsey said. “Still was surreal, but just cherishing every moment I have at Hilton (Coliseum). If it’s nonconference games or Big 12 games, it doesn’t matter. Just cherishing it all.”
With Iowa State (1-0) initially uncertain about the health of Lipsey, who was sidelined for two exhibition games with an MCL injury, fellow program stalwart Milan Momcilovic reinforced his reliability in the team’s opener.
Thursday’s game will offer the chance for Momcilovic to build on his career-best 29 points against the Knights. The junior forward shot 7-for-10 from long range as part of an 11-for-16 effort from the field, and he credited both his comfort and teammates as catalysts.
“Confidence is one of the biggest things as a shooter; you always got to have it, and [Monday], I had it,” Momcilovic said. “Kind of went back to the basics … and it turned out well. Got a lot of open threes. Tamin found me, Joshua (Jefferson) found me, (Nate) Heise found me.”
Jefferson had a solid game also, contributing 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Grambling rolled past visiting Huston-Tillotson 91-47 in Monday’s opener, the Tigers’ first game under coach Patrick Crarey II, who pivoted from Grambling’s SWAC rival, Florida A&M, after one season and is familiar with the brand of basketball the Tigers favor.
“Big team, physical team. A bunch of 6-7, 6-8, 6-9, 7-foot guys,” Crarey II said during SWAC men’s basketball media day last month. “… We’ll play the same style we always play. Get up and down, shoot a lot of 3s, play with tempo.”
Grambling capitalized on its size to finish plus-15 on the glass vs. Huston-Tillotson, sparked by a game-high 14 rebounds from 6-foot-8 guard/forward Devyn Franklin.
Randarius Jones followed with six rebounds while contributing three steals and two blocked shots. Overall, the Tigers collected 18 steals and 10 blocks.
“A lot bigger defensive and physical focus for us this year,” Crarey II said.
Executing that against the Cyclones will bring a far different challenge than Huston-Tillotson of the NAIA, the Tigers realize, and they hope to stay afloat with the scoring balance that guided them Monday.
Jimel Lane, a transfer from NCAA Division II Barry, had 15 points to lead five Tigers in double figures in scoring.
Grambling’s nonconference slate also will feature visits to Tulane and Ohio State in December.
