Iowa State finally got the bench production it’s been looking for heading into March.
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Iowa State guard Matt Thomas hit five 3-pointers and scored 20 points, and forward Jameel McKay had a double-double, leading the No. 17 Cyclones past Kansas State 80-61 Saturday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
Thomas, who recorded his second 20-point game of his career, had help from Georges Niang, who tallied 17 points and 7-of-9 shooting from the field.
“When you take your two best players off your team in this league, it’s tough for anybody”, coach Travis Ford said. The Wildcats pulled as close as 65-59 before backup Hallice Cooke’s 3 with just under four minutes left swung momentum back in favor of the Cyclones.
ABOUT KANSAS STATE (15-13, 4-11): Three of the Wildcats’ Big 12 defeats have been by a three points or fewer – including Monday’s 71-70 home loss to No. 25 Texas – and another came in double overtime.
“It’s a shame because our guys work so hard”, Weber said. “They give themselves a chance, but you have to be smart”. The Sooners missed 19 layups in the game but despite the poor shooting, gave the perennial Big 12 champion Bears a run for their money in the fourth quarter. K-State moves to 18-9 on the season and 8-8 in conference competition.
The Wildcats started off with a 10-5 lead after the first five minutes of play, but Cyclone junior guard Matt Thomas hit a 3-point shot 30 seconds later, which was a theme for him in the game. Cooke, who has mostly struggled in his first season with the Cyclones after transferring from Oregon State, then drilled one from that exact spot to make it 48-39.
KSU then rattled off seven-straight points to close the gap to under 10 points (60-52), but a McKay dunk and a Morris steal and lay-in pushed the Cyclone lead to 64-52 with 6:15 remaining in the game. The Cyclone faithful were pleased to see Blaskowky have a strong night from behind the arc, as she continued to drain 3-pointers late into the contest. Morris and Cooke finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively. I think that was big time for me.
Picked to contend in the Big 12, Iowa State hasn’t lived up to expectations to this point.
Thomas led five Cyclone players in double figures with 20 points. Neither Iowa State nor Oklahoma State has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games. The Cyclones were the 13th ranked opponent Kansas State has faced, the most in school history.
McKay was suspended for two games for violating team rules, and he was bounced from the starting lineup upon his return. McKay’s double-double was his sixth of the year but just his first since January 6.
“My focus was as good as it’s been all year”.
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“I just came out and wanted to play with energy”, McKay said. That game was played at home, where Oklahoma State beat only three teams in the Top 150.
