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IOWA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Aggressive Cyclones take over
Iowa State rallies past Oklahoma State for first ’08 win

By Eric Petersen
For The Gazette
AMES — Greg McDermott didn’t know his team had it in it. Now he does.
The Iowa State coach watched his players rally from a double-digit deficit Saturday and win for the first time this year, beating Oklahoma State, 73-66, in front of an announced crowd of 13,499 at Hilton Coliseum.
Iowa State improved to 12-6 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 Conference play. The Cowboys’ records fell to 10-7 and 1-2 after shooting just 30 percent on field goals after halftime.
They’d led by as many as 10 late in the first half.
“That’s a really good win for us,” McDermott said. “We were the aggressor on both ends of the floor in the second half.” Wesley Johnson scored a careerhigh 24 points. Jiri Hubalek, Craig Brackins and Rahshon Clark also were in double figures.
But the Cyclones’ ninth win in their last 11 games was in large part because of reserves Alex Thompson and Diante Garrett. Thompson didn’t attempt a field goal and scored just two points, but contributed five rebounds, three blocks, three assists and a steal in 23 minutes.
“AT came in the game and did some great things to help us win this game,” Clark said.
The junior forward hasn’t been much of a force in his first season of play after transferring from Iowa. Thompson is averaging 2.6 points and 2.2 rebounds.
McDermott wants exactly what he got from Thompson on a regular basis.
“Coach has been working on getting me in a lower stance. I’m starting to finally figure out it really does help,” Thompson said. “It felt good to be out there playing with my teammates and getting a ‘W’.” Things got testy early as Clark and Oklahoma State forward Martavius Adams got tangled up on a free throw. Adams was assessed a personal foul, and Clark got slapped with a technical.
Official Tom O’Neil said he saw Clark shove Adams after the whistle had blown.
“Something happened and I just lost it for a little bit,” said Clark, who became the 26th player to join ISU’s 1,000-point club with a 10point, eight-rebound effort.
Less than a minute later, O’Neil
; ISU, PAGE

ISU/ Rallies to defeat Cowboys
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hit McDermott with the first technical foul of his 49-game ISU career.
Those points, to go with 11 Cyclone turnovers in the first half, contributed to OSU’s halftime edge. It could have been larger.
Iowa State cut a 33-23 deficit down to one with 2:27 left before the break.
“If we don’t do that, it’s a much bigger hole to dig out of,” McDermott said.
Byron Eaton’s 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer put OSU’s lead at 40-35.
Clark’s 3-pointer from the top of the key with 16 minutes to play put Iowa State up for good.
It was the Cowboys’ 16th straight road loss, 12 against conference opponents.
“When we get a team down we have to step on their throat and smash them,” said OSU guard Obi Muonelo. “We had plenty of opportunities in the second half, but just didn’t capitalize.” The Cowboys closed to 6764 on Muonelo’s three-point play with 53.3 seconds to play. They got the ball back with a chance to tie after Hubalek’s missed free throw, but Terrel Harris misfired on a 3-pointer from the wing and ISU made its final six free-throw tries the rest of the way.
Iowa State once again held a big edge in points from the free-throw line, making 27 of 33 attempts.
Against Missouri on Wednesday the Cyclones were 25 of 37. McDermott wanted to feed the ball inside to Hubalek and Craig Brackins, who combined for 14 points from the foul line.
Hubalek came into the day ranked fifth in the Big 12 in free-throw shooting at 75 percent.
“Except for a few cases where we missed a few front ends of 1-and-1, we stepped to the line and knocked down our free throws,” McDermott said.
The Cyclones also were much improved from beyond the arc after Wednesday’s 1 of 16 performance.
ISU made 8 of 14 3-pointers against the Cowboys, tying a season high.
Oklahoma State leading scorer James Anderson scored just four points. The freshman guard — who was hobbled by an injured ankle — came in averaging 16.2 points a game.
Harris and Marcus Dove each had a team-high 17 points, and Muonelo finished with 16.

That is the print edition and not the online edition, I don't see 12-7 mentioned.