With a boisterous crowd, solid defense, better ball handling and strong shooting in the second half the Iowa State Cyclones turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a 13-point ISU victory.

The Cyclones dominated the second half by surrendering only 25 points, committing four turnovers and shooting 69 percent from the floor.

As a result, ISU won by the final score of 75-62.

“We didn’t give our crowd anything to cheer about at all in the first half, but that was as loud as I’ve ever heard it in our building in the second half,” ISU Coach Tim Floyd said about the 13,932 fans.

The Tigers played well in the first half, leading the Cyclones for nearly the entire stanza after draining seven three-point bombs. The Cyclones handed the ball over to Missouri 13 times and shot only 38 percent from the field.

However, the Cyclones started quickly after intermission and, after a 13-4 run, tied the game at 41 with 15:08 left.

Several players keyed the Cyclones down the stretch, including ISU freshmen Lee Love, Marcus Fizer and Martin Rancik.

Love, who earned the starting point guard spot over the holiday break, served up six assists in 38 minutes. But it was his three-pointer with 10:49 left in the game that put ISU on top for good.

Stevie Johnson nailed down the ISU win with a pair of high-flying jams in the game’s final two minutes.

Fizer poured in 20 points to pace the Cyclones, while Rancik scored 15.

“I thought the biggest difference in our team on the offensive end of the floor was the lift we got from our small forward position,” Floyd said about Rancik and Johnson, who tallied 13 points.

Floyd said the play by Rancik did not come as a surprise. “We see it everyday,” he said. “We think the guy’s an outstanding talent.”

Rancik said it was the most comfortable he has felt on the floor in his collegiate career.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “It was the best crowd I’ve ever played in front of.”

The Cyclones shot 53 percent for the contest and limited Missouri to 38 percent shooting.

Another contributing factor to the Cyclones’ first conference win was ISU’s 20-6 advantage at the free throw line.

Klay Edwards hauled down nine rebounds for ISU, while Fizer and Rancik added six apiece.

The home victory was important for the Cyclones, who had lost four of their last six contests and had not played at home since Dec. 21.

“We needed to win in the worst way,” Johnson said. “We can’t afford to lose any home games. This crowd is what made us get the win.”

Fizer said, “Like always the great Hilton magic is always behind you. We’re just blessed we have this crowd.”

Kelly Thames led the Tigers with 17 points and John Woods hit for 10.

The victory over Mizzou was the seventh in a row for ISU in the series. Floyd now owns a 7-2 record against Missouri coaching legend Norm Stewart.

The win pushed ISU’s record to 8-7 on the season and 1-1 in the Big 12. The Tigers dropped to 8-6 and 1-2 in conference play.