Notebook: Monte Morris efficient in CCL debut

Cyclone Fanatic’s coverage of the 2013 YMCA Capital City League is brought to you by our good friends at Heartland Finishes. 

Sherron Dorsey-Walker’s record-breaking 67-point performance stole the headlines but Monte Morris’ debut might have been the most impressive.

Morris, a soon-to-be true freshman at Iowa State, converted on 18-of-23 field goal attempts in the opening night of 2013’s YMCA Capital City League play Sunday, while knocking down 9-of-11 3-point attempts along the way. Morris, a combo-guard, scored 47 points in his team’s (Renaissance Granite & Quartz) 116-104 loss to Adio Chiropractic. 

That’s a team that was led by another young Cyclone guard, one Naz Long. Long, a sophomore, was efficient in his own right, going 14-for-24 from the field with 35 points. Long converted on 7-of-11 3-point attempts. 

More notes

*** Soon-to-be Cyclone newcomer Matt Thomas scored 30 points in his league debut. Thomas, a freshman out of Onalaska, Wisc., had 30 points and 12 rebounds. He and teammate Dorsey-Walker combined to score 97 of Phoenix Renewable Resources 113 points in a two-point win over Coca-Cola Bottling Company. 

*** Bubu Palo dropped 43 points Sunday night in route to a triple-double. Iowa State’s senior point guard recorded 10 assists and 10 rebounds as well. 

*** Another Iowa State newcomer, JUCO transfer K.J. Bluford, managed to chuck 25 3-point attempts in his league debut. Bluford made seven of them and scored 23 points for the Walnut Creek YMCA team. 

*** Bluford’s teammate, another Iowa State JUCO transfer Dustin Hogue, put together one of the more complete games of the evening by scoring 14 points with 12 rebounds and five assists. Hogue went 7-of-15 from the field. 

*** And then of course there is the man who many feel will be one of the top sophmores in America next season, Iowa State forward Georges Niang. He dropped 44 points and 11 rebounds in night one of CCL action Sunday. Niang’s Capital orthopaedics squad topped the Walnut Creek YMCA 117-106. 

For complete stats from Sunday night’s action, check out the graphic below. Where it says "select division," click on it and go to "Cap City League.