Iowa State rolls to Advocare Invitational title game with 73-56 win over Miami

The two coaches had slightly different wishes as the teams broke for halftime of Friday's first semifinal of the Advocare Invitational at the HP Fieldhouse at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando.

Iowa State's Steve Prohm wanted his team to continue the same kind of defensive intensity his Cyclones displayed in the first half.

'If we give up another 29 points in the second half,” he told the ESPN2 television audience, 'We'll have a good chance to win.”

Miami's Jim Larranaga was looking for a better effort from his Hurricanes.

'We just have to play better,” he said as the teams left the court. 'Some of it is you've just got to perform. It's a challenge. You've got to guard Monte Morris. You can't just let him beat you and score any time he wants, or any of their other guards taking you off the dribble.”

Prohm got his wish. Larranaga didn't.

Prohm's club rolled into Sunday's championship game (12:30 p.m., ESPN) of the eight-team event with a 73-56 victory over Larranga's young group. The Cyclones will play the winner for the Gonzaga-Florida semifinal (8:30 p.m., ESPN2).

The Cyclones (5-0) not only lived up to Prohm's expectations, they did them one better. After going to the locker room up 35-29, they held the Hurricanes (4-1) to just 27 points on 8-of-25 shooting over the final 20 minutes and coasted on a double-digit cushion over the final 10 minutes. Their biggest lead was 21 points at 73-52 with just over a minute left.

The Cyclones won despite getting only six points from Morris, their leading scorer. Limited to just seven minutes in the first half and 22 for the game because of early fouls, Morris was only 2-of-8 from field after entering the game shooting over 61 percent from the field for a 19.0-per game scoring average through the first four games.

Deonte Burton picked up the slack, however, scoring a season-high 21-points in hitting half of his 16 shots and both of his 3-point attempts. He more than doubled his previous season high of 10 points and was just two points shy of his career best.

Matt Thomas chipped in with 12 points and Nazareth Mitrou-Long with 10.

Ja'Quan Newton scored a career-high 21 points to lead Miami, which will play the Gonzaga-Florida loser for third place in the event. Davon Reed with 13 points was the only other Hurricane in double figures.

The contest was a game of runs.

The Cyclones jumped in front 11-4 in less than four minutes of the game, but the Hurricanes responded on a 12-0 spurt for a five-point advantage, their largest lead of the game.

With the game tied 23-23 at the 4:43 mark, the Cyclones closed out the half by outscoring the Hurricanes 12-6 to go into the locker room up 35-29 at the break.

In the second half, the Cyclones went on a 12-0 run to open up a 56-44 lead with under 10 minutes left and they remained in control after that.