Iowa whips sloppy Cyclones
Iowa had 8-0 starts to both halves and kept turnover-prone Iowa State at bay for all but a couple of minutes in the game and defeated the Cyclones, 80-71, Friday night in Iowa.
The loss drops ISU to 6-3 on the season. Iowa State returns home to play Division I newbie Nebraska-Omaha on Sunday evening.
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After spotting the Hawks an 8-0 lead to start the game and trailing by as many as 10 points in the first, Iowa State managed to overcome 12 turnovers in the first 20 minutes to lead at halftime.
Trailing 31-21, the Cyclones went on an 11-0 run for a 32-31 lead. Iowa State had its biggest lead of the game at 36-33 just before the half ended, but the Hawks scored on an in-bounds lob as time expired to make it a 36-35 game at intermission.
Iowa started the second half the same way it did the first - by rattling off eight straight points. And the Hawkeyes had 25 points in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. ISU never got closer than four points after the opening moments of the second half.
The Cyclones had good scoring balance with five players scoring in double figures. Korie Lucious and Percy Gibson both had a team-high 14 points. But Iowa State's leading scorer on the young season - Will Clyburn - was blanked, not scoring at all in his only rivalry game chance against the Hawkeyes.
Georges Niang scored a team-high 13 points in the first half for Iowa State, but was held scoreless over the final 20 minutes.
The uninspired loss ended a three-game winning streak for Iowa State over Iowa. It was Coach Fred Hoiberg's first setback in three tries against the Hawkeyes.