ISU jumps on Texas Tech early in 75-38 victory
While this one wasn't quite over at the opening tip, it was pretty close as Iowa State got revenge over Texas Tech after an embarrassing road loss in a big way, rolling to a 75-38 victory at Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones jumped all over the Red Raiders early in the first half and never looked back in improving to 17-5 overall and 7-3 in conference play.
Instead of bringing instant energy off the bench, big man Jameel McKay couldn't have been much better in making his first career start, giving ISU a jolt from the onset. He scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, making all seven of his field goal attempts.
McKay wasn't the only hot-shooting Cyclone on this day, as his team would hit 56 percent of its shots and were 8-of-22 from beyond the 3-point arc. Naz Long posted a solid first half on his way to 15 points on 3-of-7 shooting from 3-point land.
After taking a 35-17 lead at the half, I-State gradually increased its large advantage with a steady run just prior to the halfway point of the second half. Matt Thomas' wide-open 3-pointer gave his team its first 30-point lead with just under 11 minutes to play.
Thomas' tray came in the midst of a 24-2 run by the Cyclones that would net a 70-29 lead. At one point, the Red Raiders went scoreless for a span of 8:04. Even more impressive was the fact that for much of that flurry, ISU had its second- and third-teamers on the court.
Texas Tech's offensive woes started from the beginning, as Tubby Smith's team watched ISU open up an early lead and never look back. Georges Niang's alley-oop pass to McKay for the dunk 4:21 into the game gave the Cyclones an early 5-2 lead. ISU opened the game on a 12-2 run over the first seven minutes. Texas Tech didn't manage to hit its second field goal until Alex Foster's layup at the 12:32 mark of the first half.
Niang later hit a 3-pointer with just under eight minutes remaining to give I-State what was then its biggest lead of the game at 22-6. It was more of the same throughout the balance of the opening 20 minutes, as Fred Hoiberg's club took a 35-17 lead going into halftime.
The Cyclones made 14 of their first 25 shots, good for a 56 percent clip. On the other hand, Texas Tech struggled mightily in most facets on offense, shooting 29 percent from the floor and turning the ball over 11 times.
It was over when... I would say it was after the Cyclones scored 12 of the game's 14 points, but there was still plenty of game left. Let's go with Naz Long, when he popped a 3-pointer in the face of a Texas Tech defender with 16:07 left to play and gave his team a 45-23 lead.
The player-of-the-game was... Jameel McKay. Instead of being the shot in the arm the Cyclones needed off the bench, did it from the opening tip as a first-time starter. It's hard to argue with a perfect 7-of-7 performance from the field and eight rebounds. The junior has gradually built his minutes up over the conference slate, and played 25 minutes in this one but would have stayed out there longer in a close game.
The play-of-the-game was... McKay taking a bounce pass from Monte Morris on the fast break and throwing down a dunk with just under 13 minutes left to play. The deuce gave the Cyclones a 54-27 lead, and it was all but over from there.
What to take from the game is... While ISU has had trouble at times against lower-echelon teams in the Big 12, the Red Raiders had its attention from the opening tip after the events that unfolded 14 days ago in Lubbock. As a result, Hoiberg's team put forth one of its better efforts of the season in front of the home crowd. A lopsided victory such as this is just what the doctor ordered after the Cyclones were blown out in Lawrence on Big Monday. These types of wins typically only occur in the non-conference season, so it was nice to see many of the starters on the bench halfway through the second half as ISU emptied the bench early. Another Big Monday road game awaits in two days, so the Cyclones' rotation players will be fresh for the trip to Norman, Oklahoma.