Cyclones go cold shooting in NCAA tournament loss

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The shot was always meant for Naz Long. Fred Hoiberg's close vantage point from the bench with four seconds left saw the play for a game-tying 3-pointer executed just like had drawn it up moments before.

But just like 16 other Iowa State 3-pointers, it missed the mark.

'It bounced on the rim a couple times,' Hoiberg said. 'I thought it was going to fall and it just didn't for us. Again, it shouldn't have come down to that.'

'I'd live with Naz shooting that a million times,' said sophomore point guard Monte Morris.

The off-target triple proved to be a microcosm of three-seed Iowa State's 60-59 loss to 14-seed UAB in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Although going 6 for 23 from long range was uncharacteristic for an ISU roster filled with shooters, makes from the field didn't come any easier.

The Cyclones (25-9, 12-6) shot 36.9 percent from the field, their third-worst shooting percentage this season. After starting 4 for 6 from the field, Iowa State was 7 for 20 in the first half, and 13 for 39 in the second.

Read More: Iowa State stunned by UAB 60-59 in NCAA tournament

Long, a nearly 40 percent 3-point shooter this season, was 2 for 9 from long range and missed two open 3s in the first half. He sat at his locker after the game, unable to fully understand why his shots felt different.

'All my shots tonight it felt like I had good looks, it just was not coming off my hand right,' Long said. 'It just wasn't and I'm going to be on myself for that. I'm going straight to the gym when I get back and I'm going to shoot until I can't feel my arms.'

Iowa State opened a 12-2 lead less than five minutes into the game, but a 14-4 run by the Blazers (20-15, 12-6) tied the game at 16-16. No lead for either team was greater than three points until the Cyclones grabbed a 55-51 lead with 3:13 to go.

UAB's William Lee and Robert Brown scored the final nine points for the Blazers while Morris scored the final four ISU points.

'We can't take credit away from them. They came out and competed,' said forward Jameel McKay. 'They thought they could win the game and we gave them hope and they took advantage of it.'

McKay gets double-double in loss, goes against UAB on boards

McKay picked up his fifth double-double this season in the ISU loss, scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He added six blocks in 37 minutes, only playing fewer minutes than Morris.

'It meant the world to me,' McKay said. 'We still accomplished things that haven't been done at Iowa State before. I just wish it would have ended on a better note.'

Despite McKay's effort on the boards, UAB outrebounded Iowa State 52-37 and had a 19-9 advantage with offensive rebounds.

'We just didn't put bodies on those guys, that's the bottom line,' Hoiberg said. 'We just went in and turned and looked, and they got the ball. You can't do that against an athletic team like UAB.'