Niang scores career high, hits career milestone in ISU win

AMES - He thought it was cool to hit the mark, but the accomplishment was just a dot on the spectrum of where he wants to take his team.

Georges Niang eclipsed the 1,000-point total in his career last night in Iowa State's 93-82 win against Oakland in Hilton Coliseum before an announced crowd of 14,384. The junior led all scorers with a career-high 30 points and while he was pleased with the overall offensive performance, there still is plenty left to work on.

'I think we played real well offensively, but disappointing defensively. I feel like we'd get two stops and not really tell ourselves to get that third one,” Niang said. 'Everyone has to look themselves in the mirror, including me, and really work on getting stops down the stretch.”

'That's what is going to make the difference for us this year if we can consistently find a way to get stops. I think we've got guys that are capable of doing it,” Coach Fred Hoiberg said. 'Obviously we're a little thin on numbers right now. When we get our full roster, I'm excited to see what we can do on the defensive end.”

After getting off to a relatively slow start in the first half, the game was tied 38-38. Iowa State went on a 15-3 run that lasted seven minutes, spanning both halves.

In addition to Niang's offensive output, the Cyclones (1-0) had five players reach double figures in scoring.

Bryce Dejean-Jones recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds in his first official game at Iowa State. Getting the win and getting his ISU career started off on the right foot felt as good as he hoped.

'Great atmosphere and really enjoyed playing out there with the guys who do a great job,” said Dejean-Jones, a transfer from UNLV. 'We do have to get better defensively, but for the most part I think we did a great job.”

Oakland went through a gauntlet in its nonconference last season, losing close games including a 67-63 decision to then-No. 5 Michigan State. The Golden Grizzlies are a team that likes to push the tempo, like the Cyclones, but a key that pushed the home team over the edge was its 14-0 advantage in fast-break points.

'I told our guys that, if we move the ball like we did in the second half,” Hoiberg said, 'we'll be a pretty tough team to stop.”

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