AMES, Iowa — Hilton Magic is a well-known phrase around these parts. It describes the seemingly endless power of Hilton Coliseum, home of Iowa State basketball, to bring massive upset after massive upset in the Cyclones’ favor. In fact, Missouri fans may be quite familiar with the term’s origins. The year was 1989. The Tigers, led by Byron Irvin and Doug Smith, came into Hilton Coliseum ranked No. 3 in the nation on that memorable February night. Meanwhile, at 11-9, Iowa State came into the game in great need of a quality win to aid its NCAA Tournament resume. The rest is history. The Cyclones got what they needed — a seven-point victory that prompted the Des Moines Register’s Buck Turnbull to write in his headline the next morning, “Hilton Magic Spells ‘Upset’ One More Time.” Missouri fans got a chance to re-familiarize themselves with Hilton Coliseum, but not much magic was needed in Iowa State’s 76-59 beatdown of Missouri on Friday night. Even 15 minutes before tipoff, Hilton was ready to go. Not an empty seat remained in the student section, toward which excited fans sprinted an hour and a half before the game began. Later, as air raid sirens blared through the speakers, not a soul sat down as the Cyclones took the court. A team’s first game on the road is never easy. This is only magnified in a place like Hilton. Missouri turned the ball over on its first two possessions, starting a trend that would last… [Read full story]
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