Nov 11, 2016; Ames, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Monte Morris (11) looks to the officials for a call against the Savannah State Tigers at James H. Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones beat the Tigers 113-71. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa State didn’t play its best, but the No. 21 Cyclones (4-0) survived an upset bid by Indiana State on Thursday in the first round of the Advocare Invitational. The Cyclones shot just 34 percent from the floor, but a late Matt Thomas 3-pointer helped the Cyclones escape with a 73-71 win.
The Cyclones will now play the winner of the game between Miami and Stanford on Friday.
Monte Morris led Iowa State with 20 points, on 8-of-17 shooting, with nine rebounds. Naz Mitrou-Long and Darrell Bowie each contributed 13 points while Thomas and Deonte Burton scored 10 points a piece.
Bowie also grabbed 11 rebounds to finish with his second double-double of the season. He also personified ISU’s struggles from the charity stripe as he was just 3-of-12 while the Cyclones were 15-of-29 (51.7 percent) as a team.
Iowa State snagged 20 offensive rebounds while outrebounding the Sycamores 45-44. The Cyclones also forced 20 Sycamore turnovers.
Stay tuned to Cyclone Fanatic for more coverage from Orlando later this afternoon.