MILWAUKEE — This Iowa State basketball team has been playing differently than in year’s past. 

It’s not just the wins that keep piling up — 10 in the team’s last 11 games. It’s not the wealth of experience, although that has been a big factor. 

It’s how they’ve been winning games.  

Since a loss to Texas on Feb. 7, the Cyclones have led in 70.95 percent of game time. They’ve trailed about 20 percent of the time.

In other words, they spend the majority of time in the lead. 

Those numbers certainly earned a boost Thursday night. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 12 Nevada, the Cyclones made quick work of the Wolf Pack, winning 84-73 to move into the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. 

Iowa State has earned the nickname “Cardiac Clones” for a reason. In past years, the Cyclones made a living on comebacks. But that hasn’t been the case during this stretch. 

“[We’re] just really being locked in,” said point guard Monte Morris, who put up 19 points, eight assists and eight rebounds Thursday. “We’re not settling and trying to be that team that always comes back. We’re just trying to set the tone from jump and we’re really doing that.”

It seems like that come-from-behind tendency has been left to die in the postseason.

Iowa State led for more than 36 minutes Thursday night. In its Big 12 Tournament Championship run, the Cyclones led for 95:47 of the 120 minutes played, with most of the trailing time coming against West Virginia in the tournament final. 

“We’re coming out of the gate a lot better,” senior Matt Thomas said. “We’re coming out locked in. We’re just locked in in general right now. We have tunnel vision and we’re trying to win games and try to get better every day.” 

Here’s what Steve Prohm and Monte Morris had to say after Iowa State’s win over Nevada last night in the NCAA Tournament. #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/6G12rUgdC4

— Ryan Young (@RyanYoung44) March 17, 2017

Senior Naz Mitrou-Long, who has been a main driver in the team’s numerous comebacks over the years, said this team is different in how each player understands their role. 

That was evident Thursday, when Morris sat out for a five-minute stretch in the second half because of foul trouble. Nevada chipped away at the double-digit Iowa State lead. 

But even without Morris, the team’s floor general, the Cyclones responded. Deonte Burton drove the hoop for an easy basket, Thomas hit a wide-open 3-pointer and Donovan Jackson hit a deep two. It took just less than three minutes, but the Cyclones took back control of the game, extending their lead to 11. 

Morris played just 31 minutes, but the Cyclones survived — thrived. 

“I think that might be the lowest amount of minutes that he’s played all year,” Mitrou-Long said. “If that doesn’t say something in the most cirtical time of year, then I don’t know what does. To have him on the bench and still be able to pick up the slack, knowing that when he comes in, we’re going to be fine to close it out, that’s a great feeling in March.”

While these Cyclones will still likely make fans’ stomachs toss and turn throughout games, there’s a different aura around them. 

They’re locked in. And they’ll see just how far they’ve come when they play No. 4 Purdue at 8:40 p.m. Saturday at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 

“We want more,” Burton said. “This is one stepping stone until we get where we want to be. So we have to keep our focus until we get where we want to be.”