Final Score
Iowa State Cyclones — 28-31 — 59
UAB Blazers — 31-29 — 60
It didn’t take long for the Madness to set in.
No. 14 seed UAB knocked off No. 3 Iowa State 60-59 in their opening game of the NCAA Tournament.
Robert Brown scored 21 points and William Lee hit two late free throws to ice the game for the Blazers (20-15), who will face the winner of SMU-UCLA on Saturday. Lee had 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Monte Morris led Iowa State (24-9) with 15 points. Georges Niang and Matt Thomas added 11 points apiece. Jameel McKay had 12 rebounds, 10 points and 6 blocked shots.
The Blazers dominated the glass, outrebounding the Cyclones 52-37. UAB had 19 offensive boards.
Both team struggled from the floor, especially long range. UAB hit just 3 of 18 3-point attempts (all made by Brown), while ISU was only 6-for-23.
For a complete boxscore, click here.
Stats Leaders & Scoring
Iowa State
Monte Morris – 15 points, 4 assists, 4 steals
Matt Thomas – 11 points
Georges Niang – 11 points, 7 rebounds
Jameel McKay – 10 points, 12 rebounds, 6 blocks
UAB
Robert Brown – 21 points
William Lee – 14 points, 12 rebounds
Tyler Madison – 9 points, 11 rebounds
Live Game Updates
Second Half Notes
– Robert Brown’s 3 gave UAB a 56-55 lead with 50 seconds remaining
– With 3:22 left, UAB was just 8 of 28 from the floor in the second half; ISU was 11 of 22
– With just under 4 minutes left in the game, UAB had not hit a 3-pointer in the second half
– Iowa State had just 1 turnover in the second half nearly 12 minutes in
– Iowa State opened the second half with a 6-0 run
– UAB missed its first 6 shots of the second half
First Half Notes
– UAB shot 13 for 35 (37.1 percent) after starting 3 for 15
– Iowa State shot 11 of 26 (42.3 percent)
– The Blazers were 2 for 10 from 3-point range, while the Cyclones hit 4 of 12
– UAB had 9 offensive rebounds (23 total) and ISU just 1 (15 total)
– Both teams had 5 steals
– The Cyclones had 7 fouls and 9 turnovers, the Blazers 4 and 6
– UAB took its first lead at 19-18 with 7:40 left in the half
Preview: Iowa State & UAB Set to Clash in Louisville
Fred Hoiberg‘s Iowa State Cyclones made a frantic run to their Big 12 Tournament title. They used a buzzer-beater and overcame two double-digit deficits before cutting down the nets in Kansas City.
A wild ride, indeed. But Thursday it picks right back up.
ISU meets UAB in Louisville in a Round of 64 game in the NCAA Tournament.
The Blazers made a somewhat surprising run to the Conference-USA title, capturing the automatic bid in their hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.
Tip time is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. Eastern and will air on truTV.
Keep it here live updates throughout the game.