Ames, Iowa ? Iowa State attempted a school-record 32 three-pointers and hit just enough of them to end its home schedule on a high note.
Will Blalock led six Cyclones in double figures with 20 points as Iowa State beat Missouri, 85-78, on Tuesday, its seventh straight home win over the Tigers.
Iowa State (16-12, 6-9 Big 12) has won two of three since a four-game losing streak buried its hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
Missouri pulled within five twice in the final minutes, but Curtis Stinson’s layup and Jiri Hubalek’s dunk with 1:03 left put the game out of reach.
“Give Missouri credit,” said Cyclones coach Wayne Morgan. “They kept fighting and trying to come back, and they kept playing.”
With Iowa State up 43-42 midway through the second half, Blalock was called for an intentional foul that woke up both the crowd and the Cyclones.
Iowa State responded by building a 10-point lead, mostly from the three-point line. Iowa State hit five threes in a four-minute stretch – including three from Blalock – to jump ahead 60-50 with 8:56 left.
“It just jacked us up, and we said, ‘Let’s just play defense now and get after it,'” Stinson said.
The Cyclones hit 11 three-pointers, led by four from Blalock. The Tigers used a 1-3-1 zone to defend Iowa State.