Rivalry weekend

It was a quiet slate of Thursday games, but a group of Cyclones made a loud statement against their rivals. But they’re hardly the rivals playing right now.

Let's dive in.

1. Cyclones tear through their rivals

The “Cy-Hawk” Series can be described as many things. But when it comes to basketball, “competitive” isn’t one of them. The last five games have been decided by double-digits, and sometimes by as much as 28. Iowa won by 19 last season.

Thursday, it was Iowa State’s turn to dominate.

The Cyclones stormed through Iowa, leading by as many as 29 points in their 90-65 win.

It was a good outcome for Iowa State (7-2) after failing against two previous power conference opponents (Virginia Tech and Texas A&M). It shot 53% from the field, led by 25 points from Keshon Gilbert, while Robert Jones had 18 pts on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field. point guard Tamin Lipsey filled up the stat sheet with 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

"It was a step to prove to ourselves we can do that for 40 minutes and keep our focus and be locked in," said ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger, via the Des Moines Register. "It’s something we’re going to continue to demand going forward."

Or, as Jones framed the win: “It’s delightful.”

Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.