ISU coach Fred Hoiberg was in a generous mood Saturday at the Big Four Classic, as ten different Cyclones made appearances in the first half against the Drake Bulldogs.

No. 13 Iowa State (9-1, 0-0 Big 12) routed Drake (2-8, 0-0 Missouri Valley) by a score of 83-54 on Dec. 20 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

The Cyclones put forth a true team effort in the first half, as not one ISU player scored in double figures, but nine of the 10 who saw action made at least one basket.

“[Our players] can go out there and play to exhaustion because we have got other guys we can put in the game for them,” Hoiberg said. “Then hopefully they do the same thing and we can continue those rotations.”

Iowa State kept up its hot shooting, draining 14-of-27 attempts from the field to post a 51.9 field goal percentage.

Iowa State also mimicked Hoiberg’s generosity from the bench with its play on the floor. The Cyclones locked into sharing mode, promoting one of the hallmarks of ISU basketball, as they assisted on 12 of the 14 made baskets in the opening stanza.

The Cyclones finished the game with 25 assists on 32 made field goals.

“It was…a good team win for our guys,” Hoiberg said. “11 guys had an assist tonight. That is great.”

Senior Jameel McKay also saw his first action as a Cyclone, coming in off of the bench to a rousing ovation and replacing junior Georges Niang about a third of the way through the opening 20 minutes.

It felt good,” McKay said of finally getting back on the floor. “It was a day I anticipated for a long time. I have not played in so long, so it was just good to be out there with my teammates.”

McKay finished his Division 1 debut with eight points and five rebounds in 13 minutes of play, admitting that he found himself winded in the first half, but adding that as the game went on the fatigue subsided somewhat.

Hoiberg said overall he was very pleased with McKay’s performance.

“I thought he was a big key why we were able to extend that lead in the second half just because he was running the floor,” Hoiberg said. “He played 13 minutes only but a very productive 13 minutes and those will continue to extend as the year goes on.”

Iowa State opened the second half with a 36-20 lead, which only grew as the game matured.

The Cyclones’ transition offense served them will in the first half, as they forced nine turnovers that led to multiple run-outs and easy buckets, many of them emphatic dunks.

That trend continued in half number two, as Drake finished the day with 18 turnovers and a sub-39 shooting percentage, feeding the beast that is Iowa State’s transition offense with numerous outlet opportunities.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of a game that was over almost before it began took place mostly outside the lines of play.

Junior Naz Long sunk a triple a few minutes into the second frame, then earned a technical foul for taunting a Drake player. Hoiberg pulled Long immediately and the two exchanged heated words with minor physical contact.

The rift was bridged quickly, however, when after a long discussion Iowa State’s three-point specialist was sent back into the game. He hit a couple more threes after re-entering the contest, which was all but over by that point.

“He is such a passionate kid. He got [a technical] and he deserved it,” Hoiberg said. “We calmed him down, had a nice talk with him and I thought he went back in there with the right mentality and played great minutes after that”

Long led the way for Iowa State statistically, dropping in 13 points to go along with three rebounds, three steals and two assists. Sophomore Monte Morris also contributed 12 points and four assists, while senior Dustin Hogue tallied 10 points and five rebounds.

Iowa State is on an 11-day break until its next game in Ames against Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 31. Tip off for that contest is set for 6 p.m.