Iowa State Cyclones pull away from Texas A&M-CC in second half 80-50

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi put on a show at Hilton Coliseum to the surprise of many Iowa State fans, but a couple of turnovers at the end of the first half paved the way for a Cyclones blowout in the second half.

Mar 15, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Georges Niang (31) drives to the basket against Kansas Jayhawks center Jeff Withey (5) in the second half during the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Kansas defeated Iowa State 88-73. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Down just 32-24 with 49 seconds left in the first half, the Islanders coughed up the ball twice to Monte Morris, leading to a DeAndre Kane layup and a Matt Thomas three point shot to give Iowa State a 13-point lead at the half.

The Cyclones went on to outscore Texas A&M-CC 43-26 in the second half, thanks in large part to three-point shots finally falling down. After a slow start from behind the perimeter to start the game, Iowa State finished making 11 of 25 3-pointers.

Naz Long didn’t have near the incredible day he had in the season opener, just making 1 of 3 from the perimeter, but the rest of the starters combined for 53 of the team’s 80 total points. Kane led all scoring with 15 points, picked up seven rebounds, and had four assists.

Georges Niang was also extremely productive with 12 assists, five rebounds, and five assists.

The Islanders kept up with the Cyclones on the boards, but their poor shooting from the field overall kept them out of reach in the second half. Iowa State also had double the positive assist-to-turnover ratio.

Perhaps Iowa State was looking ahead at the beginning, but Fred Hoiberg got their attention at halftime. Now they can finally focus on their big game against Michigan on Sunday afternoon.