Walk-on lets ISU walk away with victory over Iowa

Seldom used John Neal became a Cyclone hero last night in Ames. Inserted late in the game, the sophomore walk-on from Winterset drained a pair of three pointers as Iowa State rallied for an 84-76 win over Iowa. He says he’s watched the games for years and it’s “big time” to be able to come in and play effectively. Neal was inserted into the game for his defense, as he says the coach has a lot of confidence in him and told him if he got an open shot to take it. Iowa State closed the first half on a 23-8 run to lead by nine, then used a 17-2 run late in the game after the Hawkeyes had built the lead to five. Cyclone coach Wayne Morgan said on the post game show on the Cyclone Network that the key was getting rebounds when they needed them. The Hawks came up short in their bid for a third straight win in Hilton Coliseum. Iowa coach Steve Alford says they’ve played well and stolen a few victories in the past, and says he thought they would do it again. He says the 23-turnovers did them in, as Iowa State got 100 shots and Iowa only got 74 shots. Jeff Horner had a career high 26 for Iowa in a game that was fast-paced from the outset.