Premium ContentClick on Premium Content on the Featured navigation bar for information.
AMES, Iowa (AP) — At first, it looked like one of the all-time bloopers. Then Craig Brackins' misfire on a dunk attempt turned into a play that will remain a highlight for the rest of Iowa State's season — and maybe well after that.
Trying to dunk the ball with one hand as he followed up teammate Diante Garrett's miss, Brackins fell to the floor as the ball bounced off the rim. The ball rose a good 25 feet before dropping back through the hoop without so much as nicking the rim.
The crowd-pleasing basket came during a 16-0 first-half run that put Iowa State in control of what became a 96-55 victory against Mississippi Valley State on Sunday in the Chicago Invitational.
“I didn't even know where the ball went,” Brackins said. “I just knew it flew up. I thought it was out of bounds somewhere and then everybody started screaming and they took the ball out of bounds.”
Iowa State coach Greg McDermott just shook his head in amusement.
“I have never seen anything like that,” he said. “I saw it fly up in the air and like everybody else, was waiting for it to fly out of bounds and somebody in the band throw it back into play.”
Brackins scored the rest of his 28 points in a more conventional manner. The 6-foot-10 junior also grabbed 12 rebounds for the 20th double-double of his career.
Marquis Gilstrap added 21 points for the Cyclones (4-0), who hit 90 points in consecutive games for the first time since doing it three straight times in the 2000-01 season.
The 96 points were the most the Cyclones have scored in McDermott's three-plus seasons. It's no coincidence that this also is his deepest and most offensively talented team.
It certainly didn't start like a 96-point game. Iowa State trailed by four twice early on before finishing the first half with a 29-6 run to open a 44-22 lead. The Cyclones started that surge with the 16-point blitz that featured Brackins' awkward dunk.
“Our defense fortunately kept us in the game until our offense got clicking,” McDermott said.
Copyright ©2012 Omaha World-Herald®. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, displayed or redistributed for any purpose without permission from the Omaha World-Herald.
