Ames, Iowa — Keshaun Gilbert scored 17 points and Tammin Lipsey added 16 as No. 5 Iowa State beat Mississippi Valley State 83-44 on Monday night for its 28th straight home win.
St. Mary’s transfer Joshua Jefferson added 10 points, six rebounds and four steals in his first game with the Cyclones.
Donovan Sanders had 12 points and Greg Moore added 10 for the Delta Devils, who won one game last season and are picked to finish last in the Southwest Athletic Conference.
The Cyclones led 44-21 at halftime, and the bulge grew to as many as 42 points in the final five minutes.
The Cyclones finished with 16 steals, with Lipsey and Gilbert chipping in with three each. Lipsey moved into eighth on the ISU career sack list with 172 in his 70 games.
Mississippi Valley State: The Delta Devils hung with the Cyclones for the first 12 minutes, but couldn’t hang on after surrendering a 15-0 run that left them trailing 40-15.
Iowa State: Key players from the Cyclones’ Sweet 16 squad had solid early performances, and newcomers like Jefferson and freshman Nojus Indrusytist, who scored eight points in 16 minutes, had strong debuts.
Jefferson made back-to-back jumpers and Indrusytist dunked to start the decisive run midway through the first half.
Iowa State scored 26 points on 24 turnovers. The Delta Devils turned the ball over on one out of every three possessions.
The Cyclones host Kansas City next Monday. Mississippi Valley State hosts Mississippi Women’s University on Thursday night.
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