Dec 11, 2020; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tyler Harris (1) shoots the ball over Iowa Hawkeyes guard Jordan Bohannon (3) during the first half at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Iowa State lost to Mississippi State 95-56 on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge in Starkville, Miss. That’s just about all there is to say.
The Cyclones trailed by as many as 41 points with 3:15 left in the game and kept the game tied or held a lead for only 2:46. Otherwise, it was all Bulldogs in Iowa State’s fifth straight losing effort.
Steve Prohm’s team shot just 17-of-50 from the floor, recorded only eight assists and turned the ball over 21 times while playing shorthanded for the second consecutive game due to the program’s continuing recovery from a COVID-19 induced pause of activities.
Rasir Bolton led the Cyclones with 18 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field and 10-of-13 from the charity stripe. He also added seven rebounds, one assist and four turnovers in 31 minutes of play.
Tyler Harris was the only other Iowa State player to score in double-figures, doing so on 4-of-9 shooting from the field, 2-of-7 from 3-point range and 1-of-2 from the free throw line.
Mississippi State owned the glass, corralling 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 20 second chance points. Iverson Molnar and D.J. Stewart led Ben Howland’s offense with 20 points and 17 points, respectively.
Iowa State now must hope to get back closer to full strength much sooner rather than later. The Cyclones will host West Virginia at Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Mountaineers lost to Florida 85-80 on Saturday.
