The Lowdown

The first half of the Cy-Hawk rivalry gave the illusion of an instant classic in the making. The Cyclones had other plans in the second half.

Outscoring the Hawkeyes 52-42 and shooting 63.3 percent in the second half, a Bryce Dejean-Jones-less ISU team had five players in double figures and finished with 22 assists.

Naz Long led the Cyclones with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists, shooting 5-of-9 from the three-point line.

After a rough first half, Georges Niang finished with 16 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Abdel Nader made his biggest contribution of the season, scoring 19 points with four three-pointers, as well as six rebounds. 

Monte Morris also had a productive night, scoring 14 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Dustin Hogue had his best night of the season with a 13-point, 13-rebound effort for his first double-double of the year.

The Turning Point

With a two point lead and the chance for Iowa to tie it up with the seconds ticking down in the first half, Monte Morris blocked a shot with less than five seconds to go and Matt Thomas nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to take a five point lead into the half.

The Cyclones then made 10 of their first 11 shots in the second half to pull away quickly with the help from five forced turnovers by the defense.

X-Factor

Naz Long — The sharp-shooter stepped up in a big way for the Cyclones, making five threes and scoring 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. His 21 points was a game-high and his six rebounds and five assists were second on the team.

By the Numbers

10 — Straight shots made by the Cyclones in the second half after the first missed shot

12 — Three pointers made by the Cyclones

13 — Points and rebounds by Dustin Hogue, recording a double-double 

22 — Assists on 34 made shots for the Cyclones

40 — Iowa State points in the paint