National Basketball Association
Iowa St. 76, Kansas St. 63
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 16, 2016
Where: Fred Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, Kansas
Officials:
# Ray Natili, # Terry Oglesby, # Bert Smith
Attendance:
12462
By The Sports Xchange
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Iowa State built a big first-half lead and then kept Kansas State at bay in the second half, escaping with a 76-63 victory on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.
It was the first win at Kansas State for the Cyclones (13-4, 2-3 Big 12) since 2012. Iowa State hit 14 of 15 free throws in the second half, including 10 straight in the final 3:21.
The Cyclones were led by guard Monte Morris with 19 points. Forwards George Niang (15) and Abdel Nader (14) were joined by guard Matt Thomas (11) in double figures for the Cyclones.
Guard Justin Edwards led Kansas State with 19 points. Forward Wesley Iwundu added 11 points and nine rebounds. Guard Kamau Stokes had 10 points.
Trailing 50-37 with 13:10 left in the second half, Kansas State cut the deficit to 50-45 with an 8-0 run. But Iowa State answered with a 7-0 run to reopen a double-digit lead. The Wildcats got no closer than seven points the rest of the way.
The Cyclones' thin bench was a little thinner than usual. Reserve guard Hallice Cooke was suspended for the game for a violation for team rules.
Cooke did not travel with the team. A team spokesperson said it was a non-legal issue. Head coach Steve Prohm has used primarily a seven-man rotation this season, including Cooke.
The Wildcats' shooting woes resumed after a one-game respite Tuesday against Texas Tech. Kansas State was just 9 of 29 from the field in the first half, including 2 of 11 from 3-point range.
That hurt Kansas State. Iowa State used 9-0 and 10-0 spurts in the first half to open a 22-9 lead at the under-eight media timeout. K-State got behind by as many as 17 points but finished the half on a 14-6 run to cut the halftime lead to 32-23.
NOTES: Five of Kansas State's six losses this season have been to ranked teams. ... The Cyclones avoided their first three-game losing streak in two seasons. ... Both teams finish the season with difficult stretches. The Cyclones' remaining opponents have a combined .757 winning percentage, toughest in the nation. The Wildcats are not far behind, with the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, with 10 of their 14 remaining opponents with RPIs of 40th or better. ... The Cyclones came into the game with five players averaging in double figures and a sixth, guard Matt Thomas, at 9.5 points per game.
Top Game Performances
Iowa St. |
|
Kansas St. |
Monte Morris 19 |
Scoring |
Justin Edwards 19 |
Monte Morris 4 |
Assists |
Barry Brown 6 |
Jameel McKay 6 |
Rebounds |
Wesley Iwundu 9 |
Monte Morris 6 |
Free Throws Made |
Justin Edwards 5 |
Abdel Nader 2 |
Steals |
Justin Edwards 2 |
Jameel McKay 2 |
Blocks |
Justin Edwards 2 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Iowa St.
|
76 |
50.9 |
6-16 |
14-18 |
11 |
28 |
4 |
7 |
12 |
Kansas St.
|
63 |
37.7 |
4-21 |
13-19 |
15 |
32 |
4 |
5 |
13 |