Iowa State got the response it wanted Friday night.
After opening the season with a loss to Memphis, the Cyclones settled in at home and rolled past Southern Miss, 83-57, behind a dominant night from Tre Singleton. The sophomore forward took over early, kept the pressure on all game, and finished as the clear centerpiece of the win.
The opening stretch was a little messy for Iowa State. Southern Miss jumped on a few early turnovers and turned them into easy baskets, but once the Cyclones cleaned that up, the game tilted fast.
That defensive edge was the big goal after Memphis put up 80 points, and this time Iowa State looked much more like the group T.J. Otzelberger expects.
The lineup had a different look, too. Dominykas Pleta got the start at center over Blake Buchanan after his career-high scoring night in the loss, one of the few changes Iowa State made coming into Friday.
Singleton made the biggest impact in the first half, pouring in 19 points as the Cyclones built a 46-29 lead by halftime. Jaquan Johnson also gave Iowa State a lift off the bench, helping steady things and add some energy.
The second half didn’t bring the same scoring burst, but Iowa State kept control. The offense cooled a bit, yet the defensive effort stayed firm and Southern Miss never got close to threatening the lead.
Singleton’s final line told the story: 28 points on 10-for-17 shooting with nine rebounds. He was the difference-maker from start to finish, and the performance gave Iowa State a much-needed early-season jolt.
The Cyclones are back at home Tuesday against Southern, with another favorable matchup in front of them as they go after win No. 2.
In Other News...
Iowa State May Have Found The Identity This Team Will Lean On
Iowa States home season opener offered a pretty clear snapshot of what this group wants to be, and it started on the defensive end. In an 83-57 win over Southern Miss, forward Taj Manning made his presence felt with a career-high four blocks and the kind of active, disruptive work that can change the tone of a game without ever showing up in the box score the same way points do.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger pointed to Mannings defensive impact while also stressing rebounding and defense as the areas that have to keep driving this team forward. On the other end, Northwestern transfer Tre Singleton supplied the scoring punch with a career-high 28 points and led the Cyclones in rebounds, giving Iowa State a glimpse of the balance it may lean on as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Let A Promising Start Turn Into Another Frustrating Finish
Iowa State looked ready to seize control early against Baylor, jumping out to a 10-0 lead and giving the home crowd reason to think this one might follow a different script. Aiden Flora provided much of the spark for the Cyclones, piling up 182 rushing yards and a touchdown, while Hunter Dekkers kept the offense moving with 22 completions on 37 attempts for 256 yards and two scores.
Then the game flipped. A muffed punt by Flora became the opening Baylor needed, and the Bears turned that break into points before taking the lead for good on the way to a 42-31 win. For Iowa State, it was another frustrating reminder that a strong start only matters if it survives the middle stretches, and this one slipped away in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Let Baylor Seize Control With Plays It Couldn't Answer
Iowa State walked into Joe Klandermans first home game as interim head coach and found Baylor in control of the kind of moments that tend to swing Big 12 games. The Bears did enough on both sides of the ball to leave with a 42-31 win, leaning on a defense that produced three sacks and nine tackles for loss even while giving up more than 200 rushing yards.
DJ Lagway was a problem Iowa State never really solved, throwing for 229 yards and two touchdowns while adding 119 yards and another score on the ground. Gavin Freeman helped keep the offense moving with six catches for 60 yards, and Koltin Sierackis fumble recovery for a touchdown was one more play the Cyclones couldnt match as Baylor seized control and held it. [Read more 🡒]