Only two Cyclones scored in the first half of the first game of the season, and Fred Hoiberg wasn’t one of them.

Fortunately on Friday night, it would be all Iowa State would need to get out to a lead and get Hoiberg his first victory as coach of his alma mater.

The Cyclones won the season opener 78-64 over visiting Northern Arizona, getting 42 combined points from seniors Jamie Vanderbeken and Diante Garrett.

“I was really happy that we got off to a good start; I didn’t want come out in our first game and come out of the gates slow,” Hoiberg said. “It’s a fun group to coach. When you have guys like that, that listen to you and go out and defend, it makes it a pleasure to be around.”

Iowa State capitalized on the Lumberjacks’ shooting, a paltry 7-of-26 in the first half, and held a nice lead as Vanderbeken and Garrett scored all 35 points the Cyclones would score in the first half. The two returning seniors would get help in the second half from senior Jake Anderson, who scored 15 points, and freshman Melvin Ejim would drop 10 points. But Vanderbeken’s career-high 23 points would be enough of a contribution.

“At halftime, they asked me what my career high was previously, and it was only 15,” Vanderbeken said. “I beat that in the first half, and it’s just the way the ball went in. I hope it stays like that.”

The Cyclones haven’t dropped a home opener since 1997, and while Northern Arizona was picked to finish second in the Big Sky Conference this season, the closest it got in the second half was the final 14-point separation. Senior guard Cameron Jones averaged 19 points a game for the Lumberjacks last season, but was held scoreless in the first half and only finished with 15 on Friday.

“I really thought Jake Anderson was the guy that set the tone for us, and he completely took Cameron Jones out of the game,” Hoiberg said. “He just did a phenomenal job, and he was all over the place. He took one shot, and at halftime you could argue he was our most valuable player.”

An excitable 12,886 were inside Hilton Coliseum for the opener, with nasty weather conditions driving Friday night activities indoors. A big draw for the evening was the premiere of former star player and All-American Fred Hoiberg as coach of his hometown team. An exhibition game against Dubuque was his first game on the sidelines in front of the partisan Hilton crowd, but the standing ovation and attention he received emerging on to the floor were befitting of a true season opener.

“I’m comfortable — it just feels right,” Hoiberg said. “I was actually more nervous for the exhibition game. The fact that I was able to walk through the tunnel for the first time really eased a lot of nerves, and I was actually very calm tonight.”

Iowa State was able to maintain the up-tempo game it showed off in the exhibition game, getting 10 of its points on the fast break. Anderson and Hoiberg’s guard-friendly system were key to that and kept the Cyclones a step ahead all night.

“The style of play that we’re throwing out there is a fun style of basketball to watch,” Hoiberg said. “That makes my job easier when my guys are going out there and executing.”

The Cyclones will take on Alabama State on Sunday, in their second game as part of the Global Sports Hy-Vee Challenge. The game against the Hornets has a 1 p.m. tipoff.