Courtesy: cyclones.com –
AMES, Iowa – No. 13 Iowa State (12-0) shot 58.7 percent from the field and had six players in double figures in a 99-63 rout of Northern Illinois (5-6) Tuesday night in Hilton Coliseum.
Melvin Ejim and Naz Long led the way with 17 points apiece to pace the Cyclone effort. ISU drilled 11 3-pointers in the game, its fifth double-digit 3-point performance of the season.
The Cyclones remain one of eight teams nationally unbeaten at 12-0, establishing the second-best overall winning streak (12 games) and the best start in school history. It also marks the first time ISU went through its non-conference slate unblemished since 1956-57 (8-0).
It was an emotional game for the Cyclones. The Iowa State family lost one of its most iconic figures in the passing of the school’s all-time winningest coach Johnny Orr this morning. The athletics department paid tribute to the legend with a video montage before the game, as head coach Fred Hoiberg, who played three years for Orr, and his team looked on.
The home team fed off the emotion, racing out to a 26-7 lead with under 13 minutes left in opening period. Georges Niang had the hot hand early, scoring 10 of ISU’s first 26 points.
Iowa State led by 20 points (43-23) with 6:27 left in the opening period after a 7-0 run. Dustin Hogue made a trey to fuel the flurry. The Huskies cut the lead to 14 points, but the Cyclones led at the break, 55-34 thanks to a DeAndre Kane alley-oop feed to Ejim who dunked it home.
Iowa State led by over 30 points for most of the second half and never looked back.
