Men's Basketball Downs Texas Southern

AMES, Iowa (AP) - Martin Rancik led among four players who scored in double figures with 21 points as Iowa State tied a school record for consecutive home victories with a 109-70 win Friday night against Texas Southern.

It was the most points Iowa State has scored since the Dec. 29, 1998, victory over Southern, New Orleans, 112-43.

Rancik connected on nine of 13 shots from the field and was 3 of 3 at the line, extending his consecutive free throw streak to 18 in a row. The streak dates back to the Michigan State game in the NCAA Mideast Regional finals.

The victory was the Cyclones' 22nd in a row at home, tying the school record set by the 1985-86 team and matched by the 1992-93 squad. The Cyclones can break the mark Dec. 1 when they host Southern University in the first round of The Tribune Cyclone Challenge.

Tyray Pearson came off the bench to score 15 points, Paul Shirley added 14 and Jake Sullivan, another reserve, came away with 13 as Iowa State improved to 2-0 for the season.

Iowa State never trailed in the game.

While Texas Southern was missing its first five shots, the Cyclones got four points from Rancik, two by Brandon Hawkins and a three-point play to open up a 9-0 lead with the game just more than two minutes old.

Texas Southern, led by Ricky Bennett's game-high 24 points, got on track with a three-point basket by Chris Miller and a regular basket from Rakim Hollis, but that was a close as the Tigers would get as Iowa State used a 10-3 run to grab a 21-10 lead midway through the half.

Rancik collected four points during the run and Kantrail Horton and Sullivan added three-point baskets.

Iowa State eventually pulled away to a 41-21 lead with just more than five minutes remaining in the half and 47-21 lead with 3:38 left Texas Southern closed out the half with a 15-5 run that saw the Tigers cut Iowa State's lead to 52-36 at halftime.

Miller, who finished with 11 points, keyed the run with a pair of three-point baskets.

Iowa State led by a comfortable 61-42 advantage four minutes into the second half before it put the game out of reach with 20-4 run that gave the Cyclones an 81-46 lead with 10 minutes left. Iowa State led by as many as 42 points twice in the last three minutes.

Pearson staked Iowa State to a 62-31 lead on the boards with nine rebounds.

Iowa State shot 54 percent for the game (40 of 74), including 59 percent in the first half when the Cyclones connected on 22 of 37 shots.

Texas Southern, which shot just 29 percent from the field in a season-opening loss to Lamar, made 24 of 69 field goal attempts. The Tigers fell to 0-2.

Iowa State plays at Northern Iowa Monday night and Texas Southern is at Illinois.

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Players Mentioned

Brandon Hawkins

Brandon Hawkins

Kantrail Horton

Kantrail Horton

Tyray Pearson

Martin Rancik

Martin Rancik

Paul Shirley

Paul Shirley

Jake Sullivan

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