By JAY COHEN
Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Monte Morris delivered another solid all-around performance. Deonte Burton, Naz Mitrou-Long and Matt Thomas took turns coming up with big plays.
A little experience goes a long way this time of year.
Morris had 19 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Iowa State outlasted Nevada 84-73 on Thursday night to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
"He's the best point guard in the country," Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said. "He's a winner."
Burton added 14 points and eight rebounds as the fifth-seeded Cyclones won for the 10th time in their last 11 games, building on their impressive run through the Big 12 Tournament. Mitrou-Long and Thomas had 13 points apiece.
Iowa State (24-10) will try for its third Sweet 16 appearance in four years when it takes on No. 4 seed Purdue on Saturday. It was Nevada's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in a decade, and the difference in experience was noticeable, especially during the Wolf Pack's slow start.
"We lost to a team that's really good," coach Eric Musselman said. "I thought in the first half that their experience really showed. Their seniors played really well and that was the difference in the ballgame. We really struggled to score in the first half."
Cameron Oliver scored 22 points for Nevada (28-7), which had won nine straight by an average of 15 points. Jordan Caroline had 20 points and eight rebounds, and Marcus Marshall finished with 16 points on 5-for-16 shooting.
"We just couldn't get over the hump this time," Oliver said.
It was a triumphant homecoming for Burton, Darrell Bowie and Donovan Jackson, three Milwaukee natives who have played a key role in Iowa State's success this season. Jackson scored 12 points on a perfect shooting performance, and Bowie finished with eight points and five boards.
"That's how you put on for your city," Bowie said. "That's what you call a home-court advantage. We just wanted to give the crowd a reason to get loud and be proud of us."
Iowa State led by as many as 15 in the first half before Nevada got back in the game by rediscovering its shooting touch. The Wolf Pack used Caroline's two foul shots and tip-in to close to 55-51 with 9:56 left, plenty of time for the Mountain West's regular-season and tournament champions.
But the Cyclones responded with nine straight points. Burton started and finished the run with layups, and Thomas had a 3-pointer during the surge. Morris then helped Iowa State finish it off with seven free throws in the final 3 minutes.
"We want more," Burton said. "This is one stepping stone until we get where we want to be, so we have to keep our focus until we get where we want to be."
The Cyclones played in front of a mostly red-and-yellow-clad crowd about 5 1/2 hours from their campus in Ames, and their fans had plenty of reasons to cheer during a solid first half.
Burton, a former Milwaukee prep star who began his collegiate career with Marquette, turned up the electricity with a vicious left-handed dunk that made it 30-20 Cyclones with 4:24 left. Morris contributed eight points, six rebounds and four assists and Iowa State held Nevada to 30 percent shooting on its way to a 40-27 halftime lead.
"Their defense is pretty good," Oliver said. "We wasn't finishing at the rim. We can't play catch-up ball with a team like that."
BIG PICTURE
Nevada: The Wolf Pack were never able to overcome their slow shooting start. They also shot 8 for 26 from 3-point range for the game.
Iowa State: The Cyclones had five players score in double figures and shot 56 percent from the field.
UP NEXT
The Cyclones face the Boilermakers on Saturday night. Purdue advanced with an 80-70 victory against Vermont.
Showing posts with label Nevada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nevada. Show all posts
Friday, March 17, 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Nevada-Iowa St. Preview
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Iowa State, the champions of the Big 12 tournament, is playing in its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament — and this one comes with a location bonus.
The Cyclones, the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, will take on No. 12 seed Nevada at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, a 373-mile drive from Ames, Iowa, which is the hometown of three Iowa State players. The game tips off at 9:57 p.m. ET on Thursday.
“I’ve played AAU ball in that building,” Cyclones guard Donovan Jackson, who played for Pius X high school on the city’s west side, just a few miles from the Bradley Center.
Guard Deonte Burton also knows the building and city well. He starred at Milwaukee Vincent High School and originally signed with Marquette, where he earned Big East all-rookie honors in 2013-14.
Burton, who transferred to Iowa State midway through his sophomore season, is third on the team this season with 14.8 points per game. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound senior leads the Cyclones with 6.2 rebounds per game. He hasn’t been known for his consistency, but he is playing some the best ball of his career, with six consecutive games of at least 16 points.
Now, he’s coming home.
“It’s a business trip,” Burton said. “We’re coming to play basketball, not to see friends and family. We’re coming to play basketball.”
Iowa State (23-10) has won nine of its last 10 games, including three in a row to capture the Big 12 Tournament title, but Nevada (28-6) has been on a tear, too, winning nine consecutive games.
The Wolf Pack held off Colorado State for the Mountain West regular-season title, then beat the Rams in the conference tournament title game to earn a NCAA berth for the first time in 10 years and just the seventh time in program history.
“It’s been our year-long goal, so obviously everybody feels great about seeing our name up there,” coach Eric Musselman told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “It’s great exposure for the university, and now we have to put some work in and figure out a way to compete with Iowa State.”
Nevada led the Mountain West in scoring at 80.0 points per game, shooting 45 percent from the field and a league-best 38.5 percent from 3-point range.
Senior guard Marcus Marshall, a transfer from Missouri State, leads the Mountain West with 19.8 points per game, shooting 38.6 percent from behind the arc. Forward Cameron Oliver averages 15.8 points and 8.7 rebounds, while wing Jordan Caroline averages 14.8 and 9.2.
Iowa State’s best player is senior point guard Monte Morris, averaging 16.3 points and 6.1 assists. He holds school career records for assists and steals. Guard Naz Mitrou-Long is averaging 15.5 points and is a high-volume 3-point shooter (94 of 244, 38.5 percent).
Musselman said Sunday he’s seen Iowa State play “four to five” games.
“I know they have two really star-quality players and they’re a veteran-laden team,” he said. “They’ve won their conference tournaments in three of the last four years, so they have a lot of experience and they’re used to playing in big games.”
The winner will face either No. 4 Purdue or No. 13 Vermont in Saturday’s second round.
Iowa State, the champions of the Big 12 tournament, is playing in its sixth consecutive NCAA Tournament — and this one comes with a location bonus.
The Cyclones, the No. 5 seed in the Midwest Region, will take on No. 12 seed Nevada at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, a 373-mile drive from Ames, Iowa, which is the hometown of three Iowa State players. The game tips off at 9:57 p.m. ET on Thursday.
“I’ve played AAU ball in that building,” Cyclones guard Donovan Jackson, who played for Pius X high school on the city’s west side, just a few miles from the Bradley Center.
Guard Deonte Burton also knows the building and city well. He starred at Milwaukee Vincent High School and originally signed with Marquette, where he earned Big East all-rookie honors in 2013-14.
Burton, who transferred to Iowa State midway through his sophomore season, is third on the team this season with 14.8 points per game. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound senior leads the Cyclones with 6.2 rebounds per game. He hasn’t been known for his consistency, but he is playing some the best ball of his career, with six consecutive games of at least 16 points.
Now, he’s coming home.
“It’s a business trip,” Burton said. “We’re coming to play basketball, not to see friends and family. We’re coming to play basketball.”
Iowa State (23-10) has won nine of its last 10 games, including three in a row to capture the Big 12 Tournament title, but Nevada (28-6) has been on a tear, too, winning nine consecutive games.
The Wolf Pack held off Colorado State for the Mountain West regular-season title, then beat the Rams in the conference tournament title game to earn a NCAA berth for the first time in 10 years and just the seventh time in program history.
“It’s been our year-long goal, so obviously everybody feels great about seeing our name up there,” coach Eric Musselman told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “It’s great exposure for the university, and now we have to put some work in and figure out a way to compete with Iowa State.”
Nevada led the Mountain West in scoring at 80.0 points per game, shooting 45 percent from the field and a league-best 38.5 percent from 3-point range.
Senior guard Marcus Marshall, a transfer from Missouri State, leads the Mountain West with 19.8 points per game, shooting 38.6 percent from behind the arc. Forward Cameron Oliver averages 15.8 points and 8.7 rebounds, while wing Jordan Caroline averages 14.8 and 9.2.
Iowa State’s best player is senior point guard Monte Morris, averaging 16.3 points and 6.1 assists. He holds school career records for assists and steals. Guard Naz Mitrou-Long is averaging 15.5 points and is a high-volume 3-point shooter (94 of 244, 38.5 percent).
Musselman said Sunday he’s seen Iowa State play “four to five” games.
“I know they have two really star-quality players and they’re a veteran-laden team,” he said. “They’ve won their conference tournaments in three of the last four years, so they have a lot of experience and they’re used to playing in big games.”
The winner will face either No. 4 Purdue or No. 13 Vermont in Saturday’s second round.
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