Iowa State Falls Short Against Arizona in Big 12 Tournament

Cyclones lose 82-80 in semifinal round

Mar. 14, 2026 at 2:36am

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Iowa State head coach TJ Otzelberger and players Joshua Jefferson and Milan Momcilovic spoke to the media following the Cyclones' 82-80 loss to Arizona in the semifinal round of the Big 12 Tournament on Friday evening in Kansas City.

Why it matters

The loss ends Iowa State's season and tournament run, as they were unable to advance to the Big 12 championship game. The Cyclones had high hopes coming into the tournament after a strong regular season performance.

The details

Iowa State fought hard but ultimately came up short against a talented Arizona squad. The game came down to the wire, with the Wildcats edging out the Cyclones by a narrow 2-point margin.

  • The game took place on Friday, March 14, 2026 in the semifinal round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.

The players

TJ Otzelberger

Head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team.

Joshua Jefferson

Starting guard for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Milan Momcilovic

Starting forward for the Iowa State Cyclones.

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What they’re saying

“We fought hard out there tonight, but just came up a little short. Arizona is a great team and they made the plays they needed to win the game.”

— TJ Otzelberger, Head Coach (on3.com)

“It's tough to end the season like this, but I'm proud of the effort our team put forth all year. We'll learn from this experience and come back stronger next season.”

— Joshua Jefferson, Starting Guard (on3.com)

The takeaway

While the Cyclones came up short of their ultimate goal, their strong regular season performance and competitive showing in the Big 12 Tournament demonstrates the progress the program has made under coach Otzelberger. Iowa State will look to build on this season's success and make another run at the conference title next year.