Iowa State Downs Bucknell, 62-55

Saturday, November 27

Ames, Iowa

TBA

Iowa State

3-0

Bucknell

3-3

Team	1	2	F
Bucknell	28	27	55
Iowa State	35	27	62

11.27.2004 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Iowa State University

AMES, Iowa (AP) - Curtis Stinson scored 22 points and Iowa State struggled through another sluggish game offensively in beating Bucknell 62-55 Saturday night to win the Cyclone Challenge.

Iowa State (3-0) won its tournament for the ninth time in 10 years, but the Cyclones were far from stylish. They misfired on close-in shots, committed 24 turnovers and missed four straight free throws in the final minute when they were trying to secure the victory.

On Friday night, Iowa State shot just 34 percent in a 57-39 victory over winless Northern Colorado.

Bucknell (3-3), the favorite in the Patriot League, kept threatening even after Iowa State took a 61-50 lead on Will Blalock's two free throws with 1:04 remaining.

Chris McNaughton's layup cut the lead to 61-52 and John Griffin threw in a stumbling 3-pointer from the left wing to draw the Bison to 61-55 with 14.5 seconds remaining. Damion Staple made a free throw for Iowa State, then intercepted a pass to deny Bucknell another shot.

Jared Homan added 11 points and 13 rebounds for Iowa State but shot just 4-for-11, missing three putback attempts and a couple of other inside shots. Blalock scored 15, but he and Stinson both committed five turnovers.

Kevin Bettencourt led Bucknell with 14 points, Charles Lee scored 13 and McNaughton 11. The Bison shot just 33 percent in the second half and were 6-for-30 on 3-pointers for the game.

Bucknell used an 11-0 run to erase a 25-15 Iowa State lead in the first half, but the Cyclones appeared to be regaining control when they finished the half with eight straight points to go up 35-28. Stinson hit a runner in the lane and another along the baseline, then stole the ball and fired a pass to Blalock for a layup with two seconds left in the half.

But the Cyclones never could pull away in the second half and had to fight off Bucknell the rest of the game.