EVANSTON, Illinois — No. 18 Iowa State men’s basketball delivered an emphatic response in its final preseason tune-up Sunday, October 25, overwhelming Northwestern 94-59 behind Ryan Prather Jr.’s 25 points and a dominant performance from the Cyclone bench.
Iowa State led from start to finish, using an early 15-0 run to seize control before building a 27-point halftime advantage. Five Cyclones scored in double figures as ISU wrapped up exhibition play ahead of its season opener against Memphis.
The performance followed Iowa State’s 83-80 exhibition loss to Creighton, when a rally from 19 points down fell short at Hilton Coliseum.
Prather catches fire as Lipsey returns
Prather, a transfer from Robert Morris, missed just once from the field. He finished 7-for-8 overall, drained six of seven 3-point attempts and made all five free throws.
His six triples accounted for three-fourths of Iowa State’s eight made 3-pointers. He also grabbed four rebounds.
Tamin Lipsey, who missed the Creighton exhibition, returned with 14 points and seven assists. Dominykas Pleta added 14 points, while Tre Singleton and Jaquan Johnson scored 10 apiece.
Singleton reached double figures in his return to Evanston. Blake Buchanan contributed eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Early surge buries Wildcats
Iowa State opened with a 5-0 lead and quickly widened the gap. A 15-0 burst over roughly three minutes helped push the Cyclones’ advantage to 19 points with 11:33 remaining in the first half.
Northwestern struggled to respond. Iowa State limited the Wildcats to three made field goals over the final 10 minutes of the half and took a 45-18 lead into the locker room.
Prather had 13 points at the break. The Cyclones shot 56 percent in the opening half while holding Northwestern to 13 percent, and Iowa State’s reserves outscored the Wildcats’ bench 23-0.
Northwestern mounted an early second-half run, but Iowa State maintained control and eventually stretched its lead to 36 points.
Cyclone reserves deliver 45 points
Iowa State finished at 53 percent shooting and went 8-for-16 from beyond the arc.
The Cyclones outrebounded Northwestern 44-31 and held an 18-11 edge in second-chance points. Their bench supplied 45 points, compared with eight from the Wildcats’ reserves.
Jake West led Northwestern with 21 points, while Angelo Ciaravino added 13. L.A. Pratt paced the Wildcats with seven rebounds and five assists.
Because the game was an exhibition, both teams remain 0-0 heading into the regular season.
Memphis awaits in season opener
Iowa State will open the regular season against Memphis in a neutral-site matchup in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., with television coverage on FS1.