The Cyclones killed two birds with one stone … no pun intended.

Behind forward Shawn Bankhead’s 23 points and outstanding defensive efforts on Iowa point guard Andre Woolridge, Iowa State was able to win its first road game of the season while knocking off intrastate rival Iowa, 81-74.

“We’re thrilled with the win,” ISU Head Coach Tim Floyd said. “We felt like the play of the guys off our bench would be critical. … Paul Shirley stepped in and handled the ball, took care of it very well. I thought our guards’ decision making was outstanding against their press.”

The Cyclones built a lead as large as 19 in the second half, and were able to hold off the Hawkeyes down the stretch to secure the victory.

“They’re good … it’s no surprise, obviously, but that’s a real good ball club,” Iowa Head Coach Tom Davis said. “They’ve got all the dimensions. Inside, outside, quickness, shooting, rebounding … they’re a real strong team.”

Bankhead’s play was a surprise in a couple of aspects. Defensive prowess is Bankhead’s game, but the individual he had to guard Saturday was a bit of a shock. In the second half, Floyd put Bankhead on Woolridge and shut him down until the waning minutes of the game, when the issue was no longer in doubt.

“I thought it was a good move, because [Bankhead’s] a little bigger and he’s obviously a real good defensive player,” Davis said. “It’s one of the qualities they have with that team, with all of the seniors that they have. They have some dimensions, they can change and go different directions, make some good coaching adjustments,” Davis continued. “That’s why I like them a lot, with that senior experience, they have a shot to be real good this year.”

Bankhead also scored 23 for the Cyclones, including eight of the team’s first 10 points.

“I thought Shawn Bankhead helped turn that game in the second half with his defense on Woolridge,” Floyd said. “He also got us started on the offensive end, which is a little unusual for Shawn, but he’s been shooting the ball like that in practice. He’s had another game with 20, and if he’ll continue to do that, I think it’s really going to change this basketball team this year when we do get Kenny Pratt back.”

The game was tight throughout the first half. Sloppy play was abundant early on, as Iowa continually turned the ball over. ISU center Kelvin Cato had four steals alone for the Cyclone defense by halftime.

“We played hard, didn’t play very loose, played a little nervous, tight,” Davis said. “Stuff that you’d expect out of us, probably, with this team.”

But the shots weren’t falling for ISU in the early going, aside from the baseline jumpers from Bankhead and a pair of monster dunks from Cato.

But with 13:44 remaining in the first half, Floyd and the ISU bench were awarded a technical foul. Floyd had been working the sideline relentlessly, and had logged about as many minutes on the floor as his players.

From there, the shooting picked up for the Cyclones. ISU shooting guard Dedric Willoughby found his touch, hitting four three-pointers on the night before sitting out most of the second half with an ankle injury.

ISU guard DeAndre Harris played significant minutes in the second half, hitting his free throws and playing solid defense.

“I think it’s a great confidence builder for this basketball team,” Floyd said. “We are very pleased with the play of DeAndre Harris. We throw so much at new guys early on, and as a result, there’s a lot of thinking that goes on, which leads to a lot of turnovers in practice, but we’re starting to see an improved player, a guy that’s just starting to react and play. I thought his play was inspirational.”

Despite the injury, Willoughby managed to pour in 15 points, second only to Bankhead on the team. Point guard Jacy Holloway added a career-high 14 while dishing out nine assists.

The Hawkeyes got the majority of their points from Woolridge, who finished with 25, and forward Ryan Bowen, who showed his touch from the outside on his way to an 18-point night.

“Andre Woolridge is certainly the best player we’ve played against this year,” Floyd said. “He is a legitimate candidate for first-team All America.”

Jess Settles, who nearly opted for the NBA draft last summer, returned to the floor for the Hawkeyes after missing most of the team’s games with injuries. He scored 11 points in limited action.

“We need Jess [Settles] back in there,” Davis said. “I think you could see that tonight. … You could see the difference between Jess and the younger guys playing in those positions, even though he hasn’t practiced in 2.5 weeks.”

The victory improves No. 6 ISU to 6-0 on the season, while Iowa had its five-game winning streak stopped by the Cyclones, dropping them to 6-3.

“There’s a long list of things to work on and a lot of willing workers,” Davis said. “I hope we can accomplish a lot in the next week.”