Iowa State fell to Creighton 83-80 after a second-half comeback bid fell just short at the buzzer.
After trailing by as many as 19 points midway through the second half, the Cyclones executed an eight-point run but Creighton answered with clutch 3-pointers in crunch time to hold off the rally. Iowa State’s final 3-point attempt to tie the game at the buzzer fell short.
The Bluejays took control early behind strong perimeter shooting, building an eight-point cushion by the first media timeout. Iowa State briefly grabbed its only lead of the contest at the 12:24 mark of the first half on a pair of Tre Singleton free throws, but held the advantage for just 26 seconds before Creighton reclaimed control to carry a 48% shooting effort and a six-point cushion into halftime. At the break, Creighton held a 20-11 rebounding edge and hit nine 3-pointers compared to Iowa State’s three.
Creighton pushed its lead to double figures two minutes into the second half and expanded its advantage to a game-high 19 points with 10:30 remaining before Iowa State mounted its comeback.
Katrell Harmon led all scorers with 16 points and dished out a game-high six assists for Creighton. Harmon was joined in double figures by guards Austin Swartz, Wes Enis, and Hudson Greer, who combined with Harmon to connect on nine of the Bluejays’ 14 3-pointers. Creighton outshot Iowa State overall (51 percent to 43 percent) and from 3-point range (48 percent to 21 percent). However, the Bluejays were hindered by 19 turnovers, which the Iowa State defense converted into 24 points, including 18 on fast breaks.
Six Cyclones scored in double figures, led by returning guard Jamarion Batemon with 15 points. Newcomers Leon Bond (14), Taj Manning (13), Tre Singleton (12), and Jaquan Johnson (12) also reached double digits, while sophomore big man Dominykas Pleta added 10 points and a game-high seven rebounds. Singleton delivered a versatile performance in his debut, recording 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes.
Iowa State concludes its exhibition slate on Sunday, Oct. 25, when it travels to face Northwestern at 12:30 p.m. on B1G+.