VIDEO: Tale of two halves for Monté Morris propelled by halftime shoe change

Iowa+State+junior+guard+Mont%C3%A9+Morris+watches+for+the+ball+during+the+game+against+North+Dakota+State+University+on+Tuesday%C2%A0night.+The+Cyclones+went+on+to+win+84-64.

Emily Blobaum/Iowa State Daily

Iowa State junior guard Monté Morris watches for the ball during the game against North Dakota State University on Tuesday night. The Cyclones went on to win 84-64.

Chris Wolff

Monté Morris played one of his worst halves of the season in the first half against Buffalo on Monday night. His first half stat line: 0 points on 0-of-4 shooting, two assists and two rebounds.

While Georges Niang was the catalyst in a big second half for the Cyclones, scoring 21 of his 31 points in the second half, Morris played the role of Niang’s sidekick.

Morris would finish with 12 points and 10 assists after his sluggish first half, but the reason for his dramatic turnaround might surprise some.

“I don’t know,” Morris said. “I switched my shoes. Probably that.”

At halftime, Morris ditched his first half shoes in favor of some low tops. Why?

“Superstition,” he said.

“I don’t know why I did it,” Morris joked. “I just felt more comfortable in these low tops. I’ll give them other shoes a go sometime later in the season.”

Whatever it was, it worked. Morris scored all 12 of his points in the second half and dished out eight assists in the half. Kidding aside, he admits it probably wasn’t just the shoe change.

“I think I had a different mindset,” Morris said. “I let the game come to me.”