Home/ Sports/ Iowa Hurricanes/ Iowa State Basketball Team

Izaiah Brockington was almost perfect, with 29 points and 10 rebounds

10:19 PM, December 9, 2021, updated: 11:20 AM, December 10, 2021

Ames-he dunked. He drove. He can hardly miss it.

Iowa State guard Izaiah Brockington performed incredible in the Cy-Hawk men's basketball game against Iowa on Thursday.

From the perspective of Hurricane 17, this is almost perfect.

Brockington scored a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds in the first nine field goal attempts, as ISU defeated the Hawkeyes 73-53 before the sold-out crowd at the Hilton Arena.

"I just made it," Brokington said with a shrug after his team's most unbalanced victory in the history of the Cy-Hawk series. "I really want to beat them."

Iowa State University (9-0) played three games in the series and emphasized that they added another unique chapter to their already eye-catching early-season success.

Last season, the Hurricanes ended the game with an 18-game losing streak-few people expected a reversal so quickly.

The defense helped Iowa State University recover quickly from the same state. The Tornadoes once again shined on this end of the court against the usual high-scoring and efficient Hawkeyes (7-3).

Iowa's field goal percentage is only 27%, which is 37 points lower than the season average.

"They did a great job defensively and entered our space," Hawkeyes coach Fran McCaffrey said. His team lost the third consecutive game but ranked first in non-conference games. "Physical fitness. I think they are really locked on the defensive end. Sometimes when this happens, you tend to shoot fast."

Keegan Murray-he averaged 23.9 points per game in Thursday's game-did not score his first goal until 12:41 in the second half.

"He struggled very early," McCaffrey said. "I was proud of him in the second half. He got a bunch of offensive rebounds. He was a bit loose. Nothing was easy for him. They were locked in by him. He must understand that he will be a scout for every game. The first person in the report. This is different from his past situation, so he has to adapt to this situation."

When Murray scored his first basket, Iowa State University had a 52-31 lead, and this advantage would be extended to as many as 24 points.

"The role and the way they work every day was reflected in tonight's game," said Tornado coach TJ Otzelberger. "I am proud of their daily habits and the work they do. Nothing in this team surprises me because of how they play for each other. They care about each other-every day on the training ground, they are With concern."

Cy-Hawk veteran Jordan Bohannon led Iowa with 17 points. Murray and Tony Perkins each added 9 points.

Iowa State University freshman point guard Tyrese Hunter contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for the Hurricanes, while occasionally helping Brockington defend Murray.

"(We) make them feel uncomfortable," Hunter said. "People are at their best when they are comfortable. They have a rhythm. We will come out to meet them right away-just let them know that we are here and it won't be that easy tonight."

As for the atmosphere...noisy to say the least.

Iowa State University students attacked Bohannon with derogatory and occasionally profanity slogans. Two seasons ago, when Iowa State won 84-68 at Hilton, Bohannon dropped his sneakers on the floor, depending on which side was in the competition. He did not expect to return, but the COVID-19 pandemic allowed him to qualify for another season, so he returned to Ames for the last time.

For Bohannon and Hawkeyes, there was little progress on that return trip. They fell behind 38-26 at halftime and never found their place on both ends of the court.

"I think they have an effective defensive identity," McCaffrey said of Otzelberg's whirlwind. "It's using their defense to create offense. I think it brings friendship to the team. They play together and I think this is what every coach wants."

This is what Brockington longed for after transferring from Pennsylvania State University. The Philadelphia native has played in Iowa twice before. Both are losses. He scored 11 points in a setback last season. Two seasons ago, he scored zero points on 0-of-5 shooting.

But at the Hilton Coliseum on Thursday, he enjoyed what they called the "Magic" at Ames, and at the same time released his fourth double-double of the season - and his career.

"It's crazy," said Brockington, who was 11 of 14 from the field. "It's crazy, the echoes there. The noise. Really, just before the start of the game, you can feel the energy, just go out. You can feel the energy the fans have."

We strive to provide fair and accurate insurance because we value your trust. If you find errors or omissions in our report, please let us know here.

Do you have any story ideas worthy of our research? Please tell us here.

The Gazette Iowa Basketball July 25, 2019 at 11:59 PM

Field Level Media Iowa Hurricane March 30, 2019 4:12 PM

The Gazette Iowa Basketball July 26, 2019 at 12:11 AM

Hurricane Iowa December 12, 2021 at 8:25 PM

Iowa Hurricane December 12, 2021 3:41 PM

Iowa State Basketball Team December 11, 2021 at 7:35 PM

Author: Rob Gray-Correspondent

Iowa Football 3 hours ago

Iowa State Basketball Team December 11, 2021 at 7:35 PM

Iowa State Football December 11, 2021 at 8:21 AM

Author: Rob Gray-Correspondent

Iowa Football 3 hours ago

The Gazette is an independent, employee-owned local, state, and national news source for Iowa.