Cyclones Down EA Sports, 74-63, In Final Exhibition

Sunday, November 4

Ames, Iowa

6:00 PM

Iowa State

EA Sports (Exhibition)

Cyclones Down EA Sports, 74-63, In Final Exhibition

11.04.2007 | Men's Basketball

By: cyclones.com

AMES, Iowa- Wesley Johnson recorded a double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Craig Brackins added 17 points, as Iowa State ended its exhibition season with a 74-63 victory over EA Sports Sunday evening in Hilton Coliseum.

"I am really surprised (with the win)," ISU head coach Greg McDermott said. "I thought we played a little better tonight than I thought we were capable of. EA Sports was averaging 80 points per game, and they are physical. Our defensive help was really good, and I think our team played better tonight than they did against Dubuque on Thursday."

Iowa State made its first five shots of the game, including four from long distance, to take an early 14-5 advantage at the first media timeout. The freshman Brackins drilled two treys and Bryan Petersen and Sean Haluska each had one to jumpstart the Cyclone offense.

EA Sports traded baskets with the Cyclones to keep it close until Johnson took over in the middle part of the first half. Johnson recorded seven points and five rebounds in a four-minute span to push ISU out in front 27-14 with 9:34 left in the half. EA Sports quickly answered with a 12-0 run to cut the lead to 27-26 with 5:56 remaining in the opening period until Brackins ended the Cyclone drought with a fast-break dunk.

ISU was plagued with foul trouble throughout the first half, as the Cyclones had nine team fouls with 5:45 left in the opening period. With the game tied (31-31) with just over four minutes left in the first half, the Cyclones finished with a flurry, going on a 16-6 run to close out the first period with a 47-37 advantage. Johnson and Charles Boozer each tallied a pair of baskets in the run and Diante Garret made a runner in the closing seconds.

The Cyclones took their largest lead of the game (14 points) at the 15:52 mark when Haluska nailed a trey from the top of the key to give ISU a 53-39 lead. But EA Sports fought right back as the Cyclones went cold, mounting a 15-2 run to cut the margin to 55-54 with 10:27 left. EA Sports then tied the game at 57-57 when Dalron Johnson nailed trey at the 8:45 mark.

Cory Violette gave EA Sports its first lead of the game with 6:09 left (60-59) when he made lay-in and was fouled to convert a conventional 3-point play. Haluska then countered with two jumpers during a 6-2 Cyclone run to propel the home team out in front, 65-62 with 3:59 left. After Petersen got a steal on the defensive end, Alex Thompson hit a clutch trey to push ISU back up by six (68-62). A late 3-point play by Brackins sealed the game for the Cyclones.

Iowa State played without two of its starters in seniors Jiri Hubalek and Rahshon Clark. Hubalek sat out with broken foot and Clark missed the game with a sore knee. Both are expected back for ISU's first game on Nov. 9.

Haluska was solid in starting in the place of the injured Clark, tallying 12 points and a pair of treys.

"My teammates did a great job of getting me open off of screens," Haluska said. "Once you hit that first shot, you get into the flow of the game. I am just learning things in practice every day."

ISU finished the game with 20 assists and just 10 turnovers. Petersen led ISU with six dimes. The Cyclones also made 10 treys, going 10-for-22 from downtown. ISU made 19 treys in its two exhibition games.

Iowa State begins its regular season next weekend in the American Family Insurance Cyclone Challenge, Nov. 9-10. The Cyclones will battle Winston-Salem State in an 8 p.m. tip at Hilton Coliseum.

Game Notes
-  ISU is now 39-4 all-time in exhibition games.
-  ISU made its first five shots and first four 3-pointers of the game.
-  Both teams shot above 50 percent in the first half: EA Sports (57.1%) Iowa State (52.9%).
- ISU had 13 assist and five turnovers in the first half.