AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State’s thin roster survived its opening home stand with three straight wins. Next up for the Cyclones, down four regulars because of injuries and suspensions, is a trip to Hawaii that should really test their mettle. Marial Shayok scored a career-high 26 points, freshman Talen Horton-Tucker had 26 as well and Iowa State held off Texas Southern 85-73 on Monday night. Nick Weiler-Babb posted 13 points with 13 rebounds for the Cyclones (3-0), who have Maui Invitational games next week against Arizona, either third-ranked Gonzaga or Illinois and then an opponent yet to be determined.
Shayok transferred from Virginia to play in a more free-flowing offense. Through three games, it looks like he made the right call. Shayok has been a focal point of Iowa State’s much improved attack, scoring at least 14 points in every contest. Shayok is averaging a team-high 20 points a game. The most hyped recruit in Iowa State’s latest class, Horton-Tucker had by far his best game in a Cyclones uniform. Horton-Tucker kept the Tigers at bay by hitting five 3s in the first half, and he finished 8 of 14 from the floor. Horton-Tucker also had five rebounds. “He’s a good player,” Prohm said. “He’s young. He’s going to have good games and he’s going to have bad games. He’s going to be up and down at times.”
Sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton, Iowa State’s top returning scorer, spoke with reporters before the game on Monday for the first time since straining his left foot — an injury that forced him into a hard cast. Wigginton said he hurt the foot late in Iowa State’s 79-53 win over Alabama State last week. “I really just landed wrong on my foot, and then I just felt a pop,” Wigginton said. “I tried to play through it, but I really couldn’t.” Wigginton said his foot had been bothering him but that he thought it was just sore. He’ll soon have his cast replaced by a boot, and Wigginton hopes to return sometime in December. But he’s not going to rush it, especially given his pro prospects. “He wants me to come back when I’m fully healed, 100 percent,” Wigginton said of Prohm.