Iowa State Men’s Basketball: 3-Point Shooting Ignites Blowout Over Oklahoma Sooners 83-64

Iowa State men’s basketball extends their home winning streak to 20, hitting a milestone and doing so in spectacular fashion. The Cyclones start off unconscious from three-point range and never let the lead go, securing their biggest margin of victory in Big 12 conference play this season.

Feb 4, 2013; Ames IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Tyrus McGee (25) is tripped up by Oklahoma Sooners players Isaiah Cousins (11) and collides into Casey Aren (32) at Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State beat Oklahoma 83-64. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

The team hit seven of their first 10 3-point shots in the first 12 minutes of the game. All five starters made a basket, with Tyrus McGee coming off the bench making two shots. He unfortunately went cold the rest of the way, finishing 2-8 from the perimeter but still led the bench with 11 points.

Chris Babb carried the 3-point shooting the rest of the way, scoring three more treys and finished with 12 points. Will Clyburn led the team in scoring again with 19 points. He had an efficient game going 7-10 from the field and made all four free throw attempts. The team didn’t get to the line often early but was able to in the second half, finishing 16-18 overall from the stripe.

What’s most shocking about the game is both Romero Osby and Steven Pledger being just about nonexistent. Both players shot 4-29 combined from the field and 11 points combined. Osby was dominated inside defensively, even without Georges Niang for most of the game who suffered in foul trouble most of the way.

Probably the only disappointment in the game was how many offensive rebounds the Cyclones gave up. Oklahoma picked up 19 boards offensively and won the margin 40-30. Luckily, they Sooners scored just 36.6 percent of their shots. If it wasn’t for the second chance opportunities, the margin of victory could have been bigger.

Iowa State will get a lot of rest before heading out on the road again to face 13th-ranked Kansas State in Manhattan on Saturday. As great as the home wins have been, the Cyclones must capitalize and get a solid win on the road for their tournament resume.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor of Clones Confidential. Get more Cyclones coverage by following us on Twitter.