On a night dedicated to the memory of a former Cyclone, the late-great Barry Stevens, it was the current Cyclones (11-6, 1-1 Big 12) who took care of business, earning their first Big 12 win in a 72-67 victory over Missouri (11-6, 1-1 Big 12) at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night.

Stevens, a two-time first-team all-Big Eight selection and the second-leading scorer in ISU history, had his number 35 jersey retired at halftime. Members of his family were in attendance to accept an award and look on as his jersey was hung from the rafters in front of a crowd of 12,503.

“For us to do this on a night when we honored Barry Stevens is something that we’ll always remember,” said ISU coach Greg McDermott. “We talked about him before the game with the team, and they’ve seen the hundred years of hoop video so they understand what kind of player Barry was, but I’m not sure they understood what a trailblazer he was for this program when he decided to come here.”

McDermott added that Stevens, who was labeled the “first son” of Hilton Magic during the halftime ceremony, has left a great legacy behind.

“The crowds that we have the luxury of experiencing today probably would not have been possible without Barry Stevens,” McDermott said. “On a night when there’s a snowstorm and a few people couldn’t be here, for us to be able to get a victory with his family in the house, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Throughout the game, the Cyclones were able to beat the full-court pressure defense that the Tigers are well-known for, getting some easy baskets in the early going and opening a 21-8 lead.

A few of those baskets were of the easiest variety, as forwards Jiri Hubalek, Craig Brackins, Wesley Johnson and Rahshon Clark all had the chance to show Cyclone fans a few samples of their dunking ability.

“Yeah we were [having fun], but we knew we couldn’t let it get in our heads,” Johnson said of the number of dunks the team threw down in the game. “We had to go out there and still play, but it was fun.”

Clark said the Cyclones being able to handle the Tigers’ pressure in the game was due in large part to the work of the scout team and preparation of the coaching staff.

“We knew what [Missouri was] capable of,” Clark said. “We practiced really hard on being able to beat their press, and our scout team did a great job.”

Iowa State’s starting five of Clark, Brackins, Bryan Petersen, Hubalek and Johnson combined to score all of the team’s points in the contest.

Johnson led the charge with 20 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. Hubalek had 17 points, Clark had 16 and Brackins added 14 points in the win.

The Tigers were led by forward DeMarre Carroll, who had 19 points and 13 rebounds in the game before fouling out with just 16 seconds left. Guard Stefhon Hannah also helped keep the game close in the late stages, knocking down two contested three pointers and contributing 16 points.

Next up for the Cyclones is another home date as they host the Cowboys of Oklahoma State (10-6, 1-1 Big 12) on Saturday at Hilton Coliseum.