AMES — Iowa State came out of the gates slow, but a trio of players scoring 15 or more helped the team take a 77-40 win over McNeese State on Sunday.

Coming off of a loss to Iowa in which the Cyclones were beat in just about every aspect of the game, the quick turnaround was just what the team needed to get their minds off of things.

“I was happy with how they responded,” head coach T.J.Otzelberger said. “Certainly a performance we’re not proud of, especially in a rivalry, but you know what you can do, is you can learn from it.”

There were no shortage of struggles for the Cyclones in the first half, turning the ball over seven times, holding onto a 33-24 lead at the half. The energy and life were just not there for the Cyclones on the offensive end against 3-6 McNeese State. 

What kept the Cyclones in the lead during the first half was defensive aggression, as the team was able to force 14 turnovers over

The beginning of the second half was a different story for the Cyclones. Iowa State opened the second half with a 15-0 run that would turn the momentum of the game. The Cyclones outscored their opponents in the second half 44-16, marking a massive turnaround in play compared to that of the first half.

“Guys came out of the locker room with great intent,” Otzelberger said. “Took a lot of pride in getting stops.”

Aljaž Kunc opened up the game with a solo performance, scoring seven points on his first three shots as the team took a 7-2 lead. Kunc went quiet for the remainder of the first half, but when the second half got up and running, so did he. 

Kunc put up eight points during the 15-0 run to start the second half for the Cyclones, and would wind up with a game-high 21 points. 

Kunc credited his teammates for his hot starts to both halves, saying that he was just finding open spots.

“Just about finding open space,” Kunc said. “Trusting my teammates that they’re going to give me the ball.”

With Caleb Grill being out due to an illness, it was clear the Cyclones would need someone else to step up as a shooter, which was provided by Gabe Kalscheur. Kalscheur joined Kunc and Jaren Holmes as one of three players to score at least 15 points, scoring 15 on 6-13 shooting.

“Really important for Gabe,” Otzelberger said. “It’s great to see him cutting loose.”

On McNeese’s side of things, not a single player was able to eclipse the 10-point mark. Otzelberger and the Cyclones have taken a lot of pride in their ability to frustrate players like this night in and night out.

Next up for the Cyclones is a Dec. 18 matchup with Western Michigan in Hilton Coliseum.