Is State finally better than Iowa at a sport?

2013 basketball has been huge for the state of Iowa this year. With both Iowa and ISU being ranked, the CyHawk trophy was up for some real stakes. The two schools played at the Hilton Coliseum Friday, and boy was it something special.

Iowa State who has always come behind Iowa when it comes to intrastate competitions, was the victor in this tough match Friday night. The Clones were down by ten late in the first half, but battled back to outscore the Hawks 85-82. Dustin Hogue, Melvin Ejim, and Georges Niang led the Clones with big nights. Hogue had a double-double with 16 rebounds and 12 points. Ejim put up 22 points and Niang put up 24 to count for almost 70% of their points. Off the bench, Naz long added 13 points to the cause. DeAndre Kane had 9 assists for the Clones, and he continues his campaign for the Bob Cousy award, even though he only put up 5 points. The Cyclones had a big night all around, and were able to outlast the rival Hawkeyes.

The Hawkeyes fell just short, with desperation shots not falling late. Leading the Hawkeyes was star Aaron White with 25 points and 17 rebounds. Roy Devyn Marble put up 19 for the Hawks, and 6 assists. Off the bench Cedar Rapids native Jarrod Uthoff scored 12 points and had 5 rebounds. The Hawkeyes put up a good fight to the higher ranked Clones, but suffered their second loss of the season. The season won't get easier for the Hawks with a tough Big Ten schedule upcoming, but this is still one of their best years for the program. This season shows a lot of potential for them, and shows a bright future for the Iowa Hawkeyes basketball program.

The Clones, or "Clowns" as the Hawkeye faithful likes to call them proved to be stronger at home. The comeback late in the game showed a great amount of potential for this years team. After the past couple years' tourney surprises the Cyclones are looking for a good season this year. With an 8-0 start, that's just what the Clones have. They have a tough Big Twelve schedule coming up with two games against three different Big 12 opponents. But with two wins already against ranked opponents, the Clones don't seem to be intimidated by anyone. They rank 2nd in the nation for points scored in a game, averaging over 90 points per game. They are ranked 6th in rebounds per game, averaging almost 45 rebounds a game. And to finish it off they are also ranked 2nd in assists per game, with almost twenty a game. All three of these statistics show that the Clones are passing, scoring, and playing like a team which are very good qualities to have.

So, with all of this information one could argue that the Iowa State Cyclones are finally better than the Iowa Hawkeyes when it comes to a form of athletics. This is just the start of a long season, but for the Cyclone faithful it is a very happy sight. The Hawkeye fans have always made a big deal about how much better Iowa is when it comes to athletics, but there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Clones. After Friday, it's time to be proud to be a Cyclone.

Boxscore of Iowa-Iowa State game can be found at: http://espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400498300