Men's Basketball | 11/6/2016 9:15:00 PM
AMES, IOWA – With #24 Iowa State sizzling from the field throughout, the University of Sioux Falls Basketball Team dropped a 101-57 decision in exhibition play to the Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum at Ames, Iowa on Sunday evening before 14,034 in attendance. This was the first-ever meeting between USF and ISU.
The Cougars, which has lost to a DI opponent in exhibition play in each of the last three seasons (Creighton, Iowa, Iowa State), had a rough shooting first half, scoring just 18 points on 21 percent shooting. However the second half proved better for USF, which had 39 points, hitting 42.1 percent from the field. The Cougars, which were 5-of-17 from three-point range in the second half after going 4-of-14 in the opening stanza, only lost the second half scoring battle, 45-39.
Leading the way for Sioux Falls was senior All-NSIC guard
Mack Johnson, who had 12 points, hitting 4-of-7 from three point range. Senior forward
Daniel Hurtt had 10 points, all in the second half. For the game USF hit 23-of-71 field goals for 32.4 percent. However the Cougars hit just 9-of-31 from three point range for 29 percent. USF was 2-of-7 from the foul line for 28.6 percent. Also for USF sophomore
Drew Guebert and senior
Clint Thomas had seven points while
Jacoby Odegaard, who hit a pair of three pointers in the final two minutes, had six points. USF, which had 20 turnovers to 10 for Iowa State, was outrebounded 50-40.
ISU, which has defeated five straight NSIC schools and won 15 straight exhibition games, placed four in double figures, including Naz Mitrou-Long, who had 24 points, hitting 9-of-14 from the field, including 6-of-10 from three point range. Deonte Burton added 16 and Matt Thomas added 13. The Cyclones knocked down 40-of-77 field goals for 51.9 percent, including 15-of-26 from three point range for 57.7 percent.
Early on Guebert helped keep the Cougars close early by scoring USF's opening seven points. Guebert's three pointer with 16:39 cut ISU's lead to 11-7. Later M. Johnson hit a three-pointer with 13:45 to play to draw USF within 21-13. However, it was all Cyclones after that in the opening half.
ISU pulled off a 35-5 run to take a 56-18 lead at halftime. USF was led by M. Johnson with nine points. USF was just 7-of-33 from the field for 21 percent and just 4-of-14 from three point range. ISU hit 22-of-43 field goals for 51 percent, including 9-of-16 from three point range.
In the second half, Iowa State made 52.9 percent on 18-of-34 shooting with 6-of-10 conversions from three point range. The continuing strong shooting by ISU stopped any USF thought of making a big run. However, USF did finish strong, using a 21-18 closing run over the final 9:48 to lead the deficit at 101-57. In the final two minutes, Odegaard had a pair of three pointers and
Tyler Thielges added one.
USF, which was 17-13 and 11-11 in NSIC play a year ago, will now host the MIAA-NSIC Challenge at the Stewart Center on Nov. 12-13. USF will face Emporia State in the season opener at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 12 followed by a 5 p.m. battle with Fort Hays State on Sunday, Nov. 13.
