AMES, Iowa — Iowa State men’s basketball put on a defensive clinic Tuesday night, November 10, 2026, forcing 30 turnovers, collecting a season-high 19 steals and racing to a stunning 20-0 opening lead in an 84-47 demolition of Southern University at Hilton Coliseum.
The Cyclones improved to 2-1 on the season and extended their remarkable nonconference home winning streak to 44 games, the fifth-longest active streak in the nation. Southern fell to 0-4 after struggling throughout the night against Iowa State’s relentless defensive pressure.
The 30 forced turnovers marked just the second time in the past 30 years that Iowa State has reached that figure, with both performances coming under head coach T.J. Otzelberger.
Iowa State wasted little time establishing control, scoring the game’s first 20 points while forcing seven Southern turnovers in the opening five minutes. The Jaguars missed their first four shots as the Cyclones created scoring opportunities through aggressive defense and transition play.
Tre Singleton supplied eight early points, while Ryan Prather Jr. grabbed three steals during the opening surge.
Southern eventually narrowed the deficit to 13 points, but Iowa State answered with a 13-2 run that included five points from Jamarion Batemon. The Cyclones pushed their advantage to 37-13 with fewer than four minutes remaining in the first half.
Batemon scored 10 of his 15 points before halftime as Iowa State carried a commanding 41-18 lead into the locker room.
The Cyclones maintained their momentum after the break, opening the second half with an 18-6 run to stretch their advantage to 59-24. The lead eventually ballooned to 49 points at 82-33 with fewer than five minutes remaining.
Singleton led Iowa State in scoring for the second consecutive game, finishing with 19 points on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting performance.
Dominykas Pleta added 14 points while connecting on seven of his eight field goal attempts. Blake Buchanan contributed five points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Batemon delivered one of the most complete performances of the evening, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. His rebounds and assists established career highs, while his four steals matched his career best.
He also connected on three 3-pointers after beginning the season 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Iowa State’s defensive effort featured four players with at least three steals. Batemon, Tamin Lipsey and Prather each collected four.
For Lipsey, the victory carried special significance beyond the final score.
The Cyclone standout appeared in his 140th career game and participated in his 100th Iowa State victory, tying former Cyclone star Monté Morris for school records in both categories.
Lipsey finished with nine points, four assists and four steals. He also surpassed 550 career field goals and climbed to 16th on Iowa State’s all-time scoring list.
Several other Cyclones reached career milestones during the victory. Singleton surpassed 300 career points, Prather exceeded 300 career field goals made, and Buchanan collected his 500th career rebound.
The win was also the 225th of Otzelberger’s collegiate head coaching career.
Iowa State’s defense continued another impressive trend: the Cyclones have now held 21 consecutive opponents below their season scoring averages.
After its early-season loss to Memphis, Iowa State has responded with a pair of victories and will look to build on its momentum as the nonconference schedule continues.
The Cyclones return to Hilton Coliseum on Sunday, November 15, to face Niagara. Tip-off is scheduled for noon, with the game televised on ESPN2.