Brackins returns to form as Cyclones snap a 3-game losing skid

AMES - Now that's the Craig Brackins Iowa State basketball fans have come to know and love.

Last night against Colorado, Brackins was back to the chest-pounding, slam-dunking big man who was a scoring and rebounding machine a season ago. The junior forward had a double-double in Big 12 Conference action, finishing with 27 points and 13 rebounds in a 64-63 ISU victory at Hilton Coliseum.

The Cyclones (13-8, 2-4) snapped a three-game losing streak and extended CU's road losing streak in league games to 33.

It wasn't easy or for the faint of heart.

Colorado, much improved from the team that finished last in the Big 12 the previous three seasons, put up a fight and had a shot to win the game in the final seconds.

After ISU threw away its inbounds pass with 11 seconds left, Marcus Relphorde's driving 3-footer with 1.5 seconds to play banked too hard off the rim.

Brackins grabbed the game's most critical rebound and secured a much-needed win for the Cyclones.

Colorado (11-10, 2-5) raced to an 18-4 lead in the game's opening minutes.

ISU settled down and came back with 21 of the next 27 points but still trailed 31-25 at halftime.

As they did to start the game, the Cyclones had a hard time finding the range to start the second half - then took off.

Down double digits, Brackins went to work and led a big scoring run for Iowa State.

He scored 22 of his points in the second half, 10 straight during key stretch late as ISU clung to a slim lead.

Colorado had second-leading scorer Alec Burks for just two minutes.

The Big 12's top rookie - who until Saturday was the only freshman in the nation to score in double figures in all of his team's games - banged his left knee on a drive to the basket and did not return.

The conference's worst free-throw shooting team, ISU made 21 of 28 and offset a night when its 3-point shooting was awful.

Justin Hamilton played big inside with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Marquis Gilstrap added 13 rebounds.

By Eric Petersen, Correspondent