Courtesy of Iowa State Athletic Communications
Diante Garrett scored nine points in a decisive 22-6 Iowa State run to begin the second half, as the Cyclones broke open a tight game en route to a 81-59 win over Montana State Saturday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum.
Garrett finished the game with 17 points and three steals to help the Cyclones stay perfect at 6-0. Montana State falls to 5-2. Scott Christopherson added 16 points on a 4-of-7 effort from beyond the arc. Christopherson has made a 3-pointer in nine-straight games dating back to last season.
Iowa State struggled from the field in the opening period, shooting just 34.2 percent from the field and only 2-of-12 from 3-point range.
The Cyclones held an early 10-5 lead, but MSU bounced back with a 15-4 run to take a 20-14 lead with 10:27 left before intermission. The Cyclones then answered with a 17-5 run to move ahead by six points (31-25). Iowa State went into the break with a slim four-point margin (33-29).
Iowa State posted its poorest shooting effort of the season, making just 44.1 percent from the field and only 8-23 percent from 3-point range. However, Iowa State tallied a season-high 12 steals and only turned the ball over seven times.
Melvin Ejim ended the game with a team-high 19 points (8-10 FG), his sixth consecutive double-digit scoring effort to begin his career. He is just the second Cyclone rookie in school history to score 10 or more points in his first six games (Adam Haluska- first nine games in 2002).
Iowa State travels to Northern Iowa Wednesday for its first true road test of the season. The Cyclones will face the Panthers at 7 p.m.
