After stumbling its way to the championship of the Cyclone Challenge, the ISU men’s basketball team sets its sights on another in-state rival.

After pounding Drake 73-46 in its first game of the regular season, Iowa State struggled with Northern Colorado and Bucknell.

Next up is the University of Northern Iowa, the second of three Iowa schools the Cyclones play in less than a month.

“We played hard, but we just didn’t get up like we should have,” guard Curtis Stinson said of the game against Bucknell.

“We learned from that. We know now that we have to come out no matter what, no matter who it is.”

Stinson is second on the team in scoring through three games, averaging 15.3 points per contest.

He is also dishing out more than six assists each game.

Senior Jared Homan doesn’t have an explanation for Iowa State’s lack of intensity, but he said he knows the Cyclones have the ability to correct their mistakes.

“Maybe it’s playing back-to-back games and not being in game shape yet with the season just getting started,” Homan said. “You also can’t always have a great offensive night; you can’t control if the ball bounces this way or that way.”

Homan said the team can control its defensive effort, and, for the last three games, it has.

“Now we just have to concentrate more on the offensive end,” he said.

Northern Iowa has gotten off to a strong start, taking its season opener from Wayne State before falling in double overtime to a Cincinnati team that is No. 24 in the most recent USA Today/ESPN Poll.

“I think that gets anybody’s attention, when they can go to a program at the level of Cincinnati and it takes Cincinnati two overtimes to have an opportunity to win the game,” said ISU head coach Wayne Morgan.

“They’re a good team, and they played very well against Cincinnati.”

UNI was the only Iowa school to play in the NCAA Tournament last year, nearly knocking off Georgia Tech in the first round.

“They’re a pretty good team, and they gave us a tough game at Hilton last year,” said guard Will Blalock. “I know they’re going to be fired up and we’re going to be fired up, so it should be a pretty good game.”

This game also starts Iowa State’s first crucial segment of the season, with games against Virginia, Iowa and Howard in a six-day stretch after its showdown with the Panthers.

“The serious games start when we play UNI because they’re the best team we’ve played so far this season,” Blalock said.

“Then we have Virginia and Iowa coming up, so we have to get ready for those teams.”

Although the Cyclones have been bitten early by the injury bug, Morgan said his team is healing quickly.

“We’re slightly nicked up,” Morgan said.

“We’re not as nicked up as we were a week ago, and we’re definitely not as nicked up as we were two weeks ago.”

“We’re healing and we’re getting better. If we can keep going this way, in the next two weeks we should be 100-percent sound.”