Coming into the season, it was clear that Mike Taylor was going to be the go-to offensive threat for the ISU men’s basketball team.

That plan is working out well for the Cyclones.

In Iowa State’s three victories over break, Taylor averaged 21 points per game, including a 33-point outburst at Minnesota.

“To have someone who can create an opportunity for himself and his teammates is a real luxury,” said ISU coach Greg McDermott.

After going for a season-low eight points against Norfolk State on Nov. 19, Taylor turned on the offensive jets.

He made six three-point shots against Minnesota, and added six more on his way to 22 points against Lake Superior State on Saturday.

For the season, Taylor leads the team with a 19-points-per-game average and is making more than 44 percent of his shots from behind the three-point line. He also leads the team in assists, dishing out more than four dimes a game.

“Everything is just flowing right now,” Taylor said.

Only one other Cyclone is averaging double-figures scoring, with freshman Wesley Johnson averaging 10.5 points per game.

The three wins over break move Iowa State to 6-0 on the season, the best start by a first year Cyclone coach since Wayne Morgan started 7-0 in the 2003-04 season.

“We’ve just found a way to play good enough to win,” McDermott said.

McDermott will try to tie that record Wednesday when the Cyclones travel to Cedar Falls to face McDermott’s former employer, Northern Iowa.

“It’s not going to be much fun,” McDermott said of the upcoming matchup with the Panthers. “In a lot of ways, it’s a no-win deal for me.”

The Cyclones started play over break with a 57-49 win over Norfolk State. Iowa State kept Norfolk State at bay all game, never putting the Spartans away but never allowing them to make a serious run.

Johnson led the team with 15 points and 10 rebounds while Rahshon Clark added seven points and eight rebounds. Clark is leading the team in rebounding so far this season.

Next for Iowa State was its first road test of the year, a date with Big Ten rival Minnesota.

Minnesota led at halftime and upped its lead to 10 points with 16 minutes to play. But Taylor led a huge second-half charge, scoring 25 of his 33 points in the second period.

The Cyclones mounted a 12-0 run with less than four minutes to play, closing out the Gophers 68-63 and notching a key win for the confidence of the young ISU team.

Iowa State’s final game of the break was a 90-61 beatdown of Lake Superior State on Saturday at Hilton Coliseum.

The Cyclones shot better than 53 percent from the floor during the game.

Four Cyclones hit double figures scoring during the game – Taylor (22), Wesley Johnson (14), Jessan Gray (14) and Cory Johnson (12) – as Iowa State set a season high for points.

The next stretch is critical for the Cyclones, as their next three games come against intrastate opponents.