The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team already has reason to give thanks.

Bill Amis made two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to give the Rainbow Warriors an improbable 60-59 victory over Iowa State last night.

His winning points came moments after Iowa State's Craig Brackins made 1 of 2 free throws with 2.6 seconds left to give the Cyclones a 59-58 lead.

After a timeout, Brackins fouled Amis from behind as Amis caught the inbounds pass near mid-court.

"It wasn't drawn up like that," Amis said. "I stopped a little short and (Brackins) ran through me so I got the call."

Iowa State head coach Greg McDermott said: "Obviously, we made a mistake that you can't make in the late going. We put them on the free-throw line with a chance to win the game."

A crowd of 3,424 at the Stan Sheriff Center erupted in jubilation both when the foul was called and after Amis made both shots.

Iowa State's Diante Garrett missed a half-court shot at the buzzer.

The 'Bows improved to 2-2 with their second consecutive victory. The Cyclones dropped to 3-1.

"I thought our guys showed their character against a formidable opponent," Hawai'i head coach Bob Nash said. "They showed their true grit by coming out and playing inspired basketball."

Amis finished with team-highs of 17 points and eight rebounds. He made his first six shots of the game, and finished 7 of 11 from the field, including his first 3-pointer of the season.

Petras Balocka added 15 points and six rebounds, Roderick Flemings had 12 points and five assists, and Adhar Mayen scored all 10 of his points in the second half for the 'Bows.

"When you have so many new guys, you hope they start to find that chemistry," Nash said. "I think they're starting to find that chemistry and believe in each other."

Prior to the frantic finish, the game went back and forth.

Iowa State trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, but rallied behind an 18-2 run early in the second half. Hawai'i trailed by as many as 13 midway through the second half, but came back with a 14-0 spurt late in the game.

"All the teammates came together and and we said we're not giving this up," Balocka said. "They came back on us, why can't we come back on them?"

Hawai'i started a different lineup for the third consecutive game. Lasha Parghalava started at point guard, Flemings at shooting guard, Mayen at small forward, Amis at power forward, and Balocka at center.

"We're looking for five guys who are going to work well together, and I thought that group worked well in practice this week," Nash said.

The 'Bows controlled the lead for the entire first half, with the biggest advantage at 25-13. But the Cyclones closed the half with a 9-0 run to cut the Hawai'i lead to 25-22 at intermission.

Iowa State kept the rally going in the second half by utilizing a two-three defensive zone. The Cyclones went on the 18-2 run early in the second half to take a 44-31 lead with 12:41 remaining.

Iowa State had a 50-37 lead with 10:05 remaining before Hawai'i answered with a 14-0 surge to set up the exciting finish.

The 'Bows countered Iowa State's zone with a full-court defense in the second half.

"We wanted to extend the floor, see how they handle pressure," Nash said. "Get them out of the rhythm of their offense, and I thought our defense did that to a large extent."

Mayen hit a clutch 3-pointer with 1:31 remaining, then Balocka hit a tough shot from the low-post to tie the score at 58 with 40 seconds left.

On Iowa State's next possession, Garrett missed a shot, then Brackins was fouled while going for a putback. He missed the first free throw but made the second.

Hawai'i then called a timeout to set up a final play. The initial recipient of the inbounds pass was supposed to be Kareem Nitoto, but he was covered so it went to Amis.

"It didn't come down to just the last play," McDermott said. "We were up 50-37, we had the game in control, and I think they scored on 12 of their last 17 possessions. Our inability to stop them when the game was on the line was really the difference."

It also made a difference that Hawai'i went 20 of 21 (95.2 percent) on free throws.

"That's a testament to our conditioning," Amis said. "We worked hard in the off-season and that's what helps us late in games."

Garrett led the Cyclones with 26 points and Brackins added 10 — seven below his average.

Hawai'i's next game is Monday against Prairie View A&M at the Sheriff Center.