Cyclone basketball to hit the road

Jeff Stell

The ISU men’s basketball team will be looking to run its winning streak to five games tonight, traveling to Boulder to take on Colorado.The Cyclones, ranked 18th in the nation, have won four straight games dating back to a four overtime loss to Missouri Jan. 13. The Cyclones currently sport a 17-3 record, including a 5-2 mark in the Big 12 Conference.Included in that win streak is a 84-68 victory over the Buffaloes on Jan. 16. Jamaal Tinsley powered the Cyclones with 16 points and nine assists. Another streak, but one the Cyclones will want to break, is four straight losses in Boulder. The last ISU win at Colorado was a 75-63 victory in 1996. Last season the Buffaloes won 102-90 in overtime.The Cyclones are coming off a 72-53 victory at Texas A&M Sunday. Jake Sullivan led the Cyclones with 14 points. The freshman guard leads all conference newcomers with an 11.7 scoring average and leads the Cyclones with a 47.3 shooting percentage from three-point territory.Martin Rancik and Tyray Pearson each added a double-double in the win over the Aggies. Rancik scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Pearson tallied 10 points and 12 boards.Pearson is one of the more efficient players in the nation, averaging 9.4 points in only 16.4 minutes of playing time.The Cyclones finished 21-of-25 from the free-throw line, good for 84 percent. The Cyclones have made 144-of-180 foul shots in conference play which puts Iowa State at the top of the conference standings in that category.The Buffaloes are 13-7 on the season and 3-4 in league play. Their last outing was a 81-74 win over Oklahoma State.The Buffaloes lead the conference in scoring at 85.4 points per game. D.J. Harrison leads the Buffaloes with a 17.1 points per game scoring average and boasts a shooting percentage of 50.7.