Saturday night was shaping up to be a classic example of a letdown for Iowa State. Having weathered a 20-5 opening barrage, Nebraska lurked ominously close, trailing the Cyclones just 38-34 at halftime.

After a strong offensive rebound and lay-in by Husker forward Larry Florence, the lead was a razor-thin 41-38 with 18:05 remaining in the game.

Nebraska was not going to roll over. Or so it seemed.

“As a team we were being out-determined in the first half,” Iowa State head coach Larry Eustachy said. “We had a nice second half.”

On the heels of Florence’s basket, the Cyclones suddenly jelled, tearing away from the mistake-mired Huskers with a 29-5 surge that featured three three-pointers and an emphatic fast-break dunk by Marcus Fizer.

In barely more than six minutes the lead crested to 27 points, and the Cyclones were comfortably en route to their 18th-straight home victory, 87-65.

“Everybody on the team can knock down perimeter shots and everybody on the team can penetrate,” Fizer said, describing the Cyclones. “It’s very hard for other teams to deal with us.”

A crowd of 14,017 — one of the largest of the season — rose and fell with the Cyclone’s turbulent fortunes, reaching a fever pitch when Fizer snagged a Jamaal Tinsley pass and slammed it in stride.

“The crowd was unbelievable,” Eustachy said. “They pulled us through.”

Defense, however, sealed this win for the Cyclones.

Suffocating man-to-man coverage forced Nebraska into 22 turnovers — a slew coming during Iowa State’s second half blitz — and led to 27 ISU points.

Of the 22 turnovers, 13 were outright steals with Stevie Johnson and Kantrail Horton pacing the Cyclones with three each.

Iowa State improved to 21-3 overall and 9-1 in the Big 12 Conference.

The Cyclones share the conference lead with Oklahoma State, who held off Oklahoma 74-71 in Norman, Okla.

It feels good to be on top in this tough, tough league,” Fizer said. “It’s been hard going to a lot of places and winning.”

The Huskers dropped to 10-13 and 3-7 in the Big 12. They are winless on the road (0-6).

Nonetheless, Nebraska showcased its athleticism and unusually accurate shooting throughout the first half, capping a 21-5 run with a Louis Truscott three-pointer and a 26-25 lead.

“They’re a very, very talented team,” Eustachy said. “The last 10 minutes of the half were very poor for our team.”

Fizer led the Cyclones with 23 points and 9 rebounds while missing only one shot form the field. Michael Nurse came next with 19 points and Kantrail Horton notched 13 points.

Florence led Nebraska with 16 points and eight rebounds.

Touted newcomer Kimani Ffriend, dubbed the “Jamaican Jammer,” tallied only seven points and six rebounds for a Husker squad that entered the contest tied atop the Big 12 in rebounding margin in conference play.

ISU outrebounded Nebraska 40-34, and 15 to nine on the offensive glass.

Iowa State took its biggest lead, 82-51, with 7:17 left to play on a Brandon Hawkins jump shot.

The insurmountable cushion allowed Eustachy to rest some of his starters — all of who are accustomed to spending virtually all the game on the court.

Fizer, hoarse-voiced and bothered by bone spurs, played 27 minutes.

Tinsley played just 23 minutes.

“It was great to sit on the bench and watch other guys have fun,” Fizer said.

A few months ago, Fizer wasn’t sure how much fun this season would be.

Iowa State had another fresh cast of players and another season of low national expectations.

“We had a new group, just like every year of my career here,” Fizer said. “But as we began playing, I began to see that if we played as hard as we could and put our minds to it, we could beat anybody.”

“To do this [well] is remarkable,” Eustachy said. “You’ve got to give the players all the credit.”

Wednesday, the Cyclones travel to Lawrence, Kan. to challenge the Jayhawks and kick off a pivotal six-game conference stretch.

Iowa State hasn’t won in Lawrence since 1982.

“The last six are very, very difficult — the two we have at home and the four on the road,” Eustachy said. “It’s these six that we put on the board prior to the start of the league.”

The top six Big 12 teams are clustered within two games of each other and Iowa State must still play three of them.

The Cyclones face Oklahoma State Feb. 26 in their final home game.

“We’re in position,” Eustachy said. “We just have to take advantage and stay healthy.”