Cyclones overcome slow start, Niang fear

AMES, IOWA — With six minutes, 23 seconds on the clock over the baskets at Hilton Coliseum, there was deafening silence in front of 14,272 spectators as Georges Niang held the area around his right knee and writhed in pain.

Because as loud as the Hilton Coliseum had experienced the game just a minute and 47 seconds earlier, when fans loudly cheered new football coach Matt Campbell on the field, there was now a strange silence.

The decibel meter undoubtedly reached low levels. Teammates rushed back in Niang’s direction. The team doctor rushed off the bench.

“Man, he’s a senior,” Iowa State coach Steve Prohm thought. “Obviously we need him, but you never want a senior to get hurt for a lot of reasons.”

After writhing in pain for a few minutes, Niang was finally helped off the pitch and into the locker room. In the end, Iowa State breathed a sigh of relief when Niang was diagnosed with a bruised right thigh.

At the 1:41 mark of the first half, Niang, who finished with 15 points and six rebounds, would turn to the basket for a layup, ultimately leading to an 84-64 win over North Dakota State.

“I just got a Charley horse,” Niang said afterwards. “I probably overreacted a little, but I was in a lot of pain.”

“He’s soft,” joked teammate Naz Mitrou-Long. “No, but when he gets injured it kind of reminded me of the tournament two years ago. I went up to him and he said, ‘That’s a Charley horse, it’s a Charley horse.'”

“Hilton got so calm,” said Jameel McKay, who scored 15 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, the most of his career. “I’ve never heard it so quiet. I’m just glad he’s okay. He’s the heart and soul of our team and he’s the best player in the country, so we need him every night.”

Iowa State’s eventual win would require a late effort to overcome a poor night from beyond the arc. The Cyclones fell behind NDSU by three points without Niang before ending the first half with a 9-0 run to take a four-point lead at halftime despite eight turnovers and 3 of 14 from 3.

That 3-point shooting would improve slightly in the second half (4 of 13), but with a small-ball lineup late, the Cyclones closed the game with a 32-14 run in the final 12 minutes to secure the win 20-point win.

“I’m proud of my boys,” said Prohm. “It was a good win. Everyone knows North Dakota State has a very good program, they have been in the NCAA Tournament the last few years and they are a team that makes you want to defend.”

Iowa State’s victory would ultimately be even more meaningful. From the fear of a season-ending injury to a sigh of relief.

“The most important thing about this evening,” said Prohm, “is that we won and Georges is healthy.”