No. 4 Iowa State erases 20-point deficit to defeat Iowa, 83-82

Monte Morris hit a runner with nine seconds left and fourth-ranked Iowa State rallied from a 20-point deficit to stun Iowa 83-82 on Thursday night.

Morris and Jameel McKay each had 20 points for the Cyclones (8-0), who scored the game’s final nine points to remain unbeaten.

A 30-11 run brought Iowa State within 82-81 with 21 seconds left. Morris then drove the lane and floated in the go-ahead shot, which the Cyclones made stand with one final defensive stop.

Jarrod Uthoff scored 30 of his 32 points in the first half for Iowa (7-3), which has lost seven straight in Ames.

Even though Iowa State had already posted Power 5 wins over Colorado, Virginia Tech and Illinois, this was its first major test in a season that promises to be full of them.

The Cyclones couldn’t find anyone early on who could slow down Uthoff.

They won anyway.

Uthoff, fresh off scoring a career-high 27 points on Monday, had 20 points in the first 12 minutes — hitting his first eight shots to help Iowa take a 37-19 lead.

The lead grew to as much as 20 on Uthoff’s dunk, and he surpassed his career high with a three-pointer late in the first half.

Peter Jok then opened the second half with four straight threes to help put Iowa back on top, 62-42.

The Cyclones finally figured out how to slow Uthoff down in the second half, and a blistering late run got them within a point.

The Hawkeyes went back up by eight with 2:36 left, though. But Matt Thomas hit a three with 59 seconds left to make it 82-79. Georges Niang then hit a pair of free throws, and Morris capped off the comeback with a shot that Cyclones fans won’t soon forget.

Jok had 18 points for Iowa. Thomas scored 19 for the Cyclones, and Niang had 16.