Cyclones Take Down the Bison 81-59

In the last tune up game before this Thursday’s showdown against the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Cyclones faced the North Dakota State Bison at home. As has been the case for most of the season, offensive ball movement was very good, and the defense consistently forced turnovers, albeit against a team that seemed hell-bent on turning the ball over.

Marial Shayok continues to be the star on the offensive end, pouring in 20 points on 9-15 shooting. Michael Jacobsen was a model of consistency once again, recording 15 points and 10 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double. Tyrese Haliburton and Talen Horton-Tucker also continued to show why they’re one of the best freshman duos in the country, combining for 24 points, though THT still isn’t particularly efficient in his scoring.

The big story of the night was the return of Cameron Lard and Zoran Talley to the rotation. Talley logged 16 solid minutes, playing largely mistake free and scoring four points. Lard struggled a little bit, as he still needs to work back into game shape, an issue he had problem with last year. Most importantly though, the offensive didn’t slow down or stagnate when either Talley or Lard were in, so the ball should continue to move well as they get back up to speed. After Iowa’s blowout loss to Michigan State and the excellent start to the season, the Cyclones will feel confident heading into Iowa City on Thursday.