AMES — Iowa State nearly pulled off a stunning comeback Sunday afternoon, erasing almost all of a 19-point deficit before Creighton delivered the final blows in an 83-80 exhibition men’s basketball victory at Hilton Coliseum.
The Cyclones, playing their first public exhibition of the 2026-27 season on October 18, found themselves in serious trouble midway through the second half as Creighton’s hot outside shooting threatened to turn the contest into a rout.
But Iowa State refused to fold. A determined rally brought the Cyclones within three points with 2:31 remaining, giving the home crowd hope that an improbable comeback was within reach.
Creighton answered with clutch three-pointers down the stretch, and Iowa State’s final shot to tie the game missed as time expired.
Creighton’s three-point shooting proves costly
The Bluejays wasted little time establishing their offensive rhythm, connecting on consecutive early three-pointers and building an eight-point advantage before the first media timeout.
Iowa State briefly fought back to take the lead with 12:24 remaining in the opening half after sophomore Tre Singleton knocked down a pair of free throws. That advantage lasted just 26 seconds.
Creighton regained control and entered halftime leading 45-39. The visitors connected on nine first-half three-pointers compared with just three for Iowa State and held a 20-11 rebounding advantage at intermission.
Creighton’s lead expanded to double digits early in the second half and reached 19 points with approximately 10:30 remaining. What followed was Iowa State’s most encouraging stretch of the afternoon.
Cyclones mount furious second-half comeback
The Cyclones tightened their defense, forced turnovers and began attacking in transition. An eight-point Iowa State run helped ignite the comeback, and the deficit eventually shrank to just three points with 2:31 remaining.
Iowa State forced 19 Creighton turnovers and converted those mistakes into 24 points, including 18 points in transition.
The Bluejays nevertheless had answers when the Cyclones threatened to complete the comeback. Creighton hit two critical three-pointers late in the contest to protect its advantage.
Iowa State had one final opportunity to force overtime, but its last-second attempt missed. The Cyclones outscored Creighton 41-38 in the second half but could not overcome the early deficit.
Six Iowa State players score in double figures
Jamarion Batemon led Iowa State with 15 points, including three three-pointers. Leon Bond III added 14 points, while Taj Manning contributed 13.
Singleton and Jaquan Johnson each scored 12 points, and sophomore Dominykas Pleta finished with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
Singleton delivered an encouraging performance, recording 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals in 27 minutes.
For Creighton, Katrelle Harmon scored a game-high 16 points and distributed six assists. Austin Swartz and Wes Enis each added 15 points, while Hudson Greer contributed 11.
The Bluejays shot 51 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point range, connecting on 14 of 29 attempts. Iowa State shot 43 percent overall but struggled from long distance, making just five of 24 three-point attempts.
The Cyclones finished with a 37-35 rebounding edge and committed only 10 turnovers compared with Creighton’s 19.
Iowa State basketball heads to Northwestern next
Although the exhibition loss will not count toward Iowa State’s regular-season record, the afternoon provided an opportunity to evaluate newcomers and identify areas needing improvement before the games begin to count.
The Cyclones will conclude their exhibition schedule Sunday, October 25, when they travel to Evanston, Illinois, to face Northwestern. The matchup is scheduled for 12:30 p.m., according to Iowa State’s updated schedule.
Iowa State will then open its regular season November 2 against Memphis at Hilton Coliseum.
Last season ended with a Sweet 16 loss to Tennessee following a memorable postseason run. In the Big 12 Tournament, the Cyclones had also defeated Texas Tech before falling to Arizona at the buzzer.
For the Cyclones, Sunday’s exhibition offered a little of everything: defensive intensity, promising newcomer contributions and a reminder of just how costly poor perimeter defense can become against a hot-shooting opponent.