Brackins Leads Way As Cyclones Beat Nebraska

Wednesday, February 24

Ames, Iowa

6:30 PM

Iowa State

14-14, 3-10

Nebraska

13-15, 1-12

Team	1	2	F
Nebraska	41	33	74
Iowa State	34	44	78

Brackins Leads Way As Cyclones Beat Nebraska

02.24.2010 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: cyclones.com

AMES, Iowa - Craig Brackins scored 11 of his 21 points in the final 5:18 of the game to help Iowa State down Nebraska, 78-74 Wednesday night in Hilton Coliseum. Brackins, who posted his 29th career double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, helped ISU end a six-game losing streak and record its first season sweep over a Big 12 opponent since beating NU twice in the 2006-07 season.

ISU, which improves to 14-14 overall and 3-10 in Big 12 play, overcame a 10-point second-half deficit in the victory. The clutch play of Brackins certainly helped.

“I'm proud that he (Brackins) was able to do that," ISU head coach Greg McDermott said. "It's like the light switch went on and he had more aggressiveness to his play. We really needed him to step up and he did."

The Huskers made 50 percent of their shots in the first half en route to a 41-34 halftime lead. NU was up by eight points early (12-4), until ISU went on a 13-2 run to take a 17-14 lead with 10:45 left in opening period.

A Scott Christopherson 3-pointer capped off ISU's rally.

NU heated up again, going up by seven points (30-23) at the 6:01 mark of the first half. Christian Standhardinger had 14 first half points to propel the Huskers. ISU cut the lead down to 30-28, but NU made its final two buckets, including a trey at the buzzer by Lance Jeter to mount the seven point halftime cushion.

The Huskers made 7-of-12 first-half 3-point field goals.

The Husker lead reached 10 points on a Standhardinger lay-in to make it 47-37 NU with 17:15 left in the game. The lead was still nine points for NU with 15:21 left until ISU went on an 11-0 run to take a 51-49 advantage. Christopherson and Marquis Gilstrap each buried a trey and Chris Colvin converted a conventional 3-point play on a steal and lay-in.

The Cyclones then went through another cold spell, as NU retook the lead at 59-53 with 7:39 remaining. Standhardinger scored four points in the NU mini-spurt, including a breakaway dunk that gave the Huskers the six point lead.

The game of runs continued, as ISU rattled off 10-straight points to go up 63-59 with 5:18 left in the contest. Brackins drained a trey and scored on a jumper from the baseline to jumpstart the Cyclones.

Jeter eventually tied the game at 65-65 before Brackins took over. The Cyclone big man recorded back-to-back dunks, including an unbelievable one-handed slam from a Garrett lob which ignited the crowd and gave ISU a 69-65 lead with 3:05 left in the game.

ISU had a comfortable seven-point lead with 0:40 seconds left until NU cut the lead to two points with 0:05 ticks on the clock. Gilstrap iced the game with two free-throws.

ISU hits the road to face Colorado on Saturday.