Iowa State (2-1, 0-0 Big 12) scored the first 20 points and never looked back as they rolled Southern (0-4, 0-0 SWAC) 84-47 Tuesday night.
The Cyclones delivered a masterclass in aggressive defense and transition offense from the opening tip at Hilton Coliseum, suffocating the Jaguars into early turnovers and converting them into an overwhelming flurry of fast break points.
The 20-0 opening surge
Dominykas Pleta set the tone for Iowa State on the game’s opening possession, collecting an offensive rebound off a missed shot
by Jamarion Batemon to score a quick put back layup. On the ensuing Southern possession, Batemon stripped the ball from Aaron Hall for a steal and immediately leaked out to drain a 3-pointer off a return pass from Pleta. Seconds later, Pleta notched another steal against Ibrahim Olajuwon, setting up Batemon for a lay up to push the lead to 7-0. Tre Singleton expanded the perimeter barrage by sinking a 3-pointer off a Batemon assist, forcing Southern into an early timeout.
The stoppage failed to interrupt Iowa State’s relentless rhythm. Out of the timeout, Ryan Prather Jr. recorded consecutive steals against Daniel Dormu and Julian Greer, leading directly to a Pleta layup assisted by Singleton. Tamin Lipsey then pulled down a defensive rebound, came down court, and poked the ball away from Dormu for a steal, feeding Singleton for a lay up and a drawn foul, which Singleton converted into a 3-point play. Blake Buchanan added a free throw after pulling down an offensive board, and Singleton capped the unanswered 20-0 run with an interior layup.
Southern finally halted the shutout when R’Chaun King completed a 3-point play via a dunk and free throw. However, Iowa State answered instantly as Pleta slammed home a dunk off a pass from Prather Jr.
First half command
Although Southern found brief offensive life through 3-pointers from Dormu and Hall, Iowa State maintained control through superior depth and interior presence. Jaquan Johnson scored on a painted drive, while Taj Manning highlighted the Cyclone bench effort with a dunk assisted by Lipsey. Xzavion Mitchell added a lay up and converted a free throw to keep the margin comfortably above double digits.
Batemon stayed hot from the outside, knocking down a 3-pointer assisted by Buchanan before drawing a foul and sinking a pair of free throws. On defense, Batemon denied a jump shot from Malik Ferguson with an emphatic block. Southern attempted to stay within reach through scoring from Lionel Larvadain, Ferguson, and Joseph Hunter, but Lipsey drew a foul on a late drive and hit two free throws to give Iowa State a 39-18 lead at the break.
Second half onslaught
Pleta opened the second half with a lay up off a Batemon assist, and Batemon followed shortly with his third 3-pointer of the night. Buchanan extended the interior advantage by cleaning up a missed shot for a putback layup.
Iowa State’s defensive pressure generated relentless fast break opportunities throughout the period. Lipsey collected multiple steals, feeding Singleton for back-to-back scores. Prather Jr. then ignited a 15-0 run, knocking down a 3-pointer.
Singleton added a mid-range jumper, and Pleta threw down another dunk off a Singleton pass. When Lipsey sank a 3-pointer from the wing, Iowa State stretched its lead to its largest margin of the game at 80-33.
Closing effort and bench minutes
Larvadain hit two second-half 3-pointers, while Karez Demory added a lay up and Olajuwon scored inside. Armonii Benjamin also chipped in a mid-range jumper and recorded a steal.
Iowa State closed the game with its extended rotation, featuring Leon Bond III, Yusef Gray Jr., Dorian Komlan Rinaldo and Anthony Rise. Rise capped the scoring for the Cyclones with a mid-range jumper in the final minute.
