Aljaz Kunc scored a game-high 21 points on 7-of-7 shooting Sunday, including 15 in a three-minute stretch of the first half, as Iowa State remained unbeaten with an 82-47 rout of winless Grambling in Ames, Iowa.
Four other players scored in double figures for the Cyclones (4-0). Tristan Enaruna added 15 points and nine rebounds, while Tre Jackson and Tyrese Hunter each tallied 12 points. Caleb Grill chipped in 10 to go along with five rebounds and four assists.
Iowa State didn’t top 68 points in any of its first three games, but its offense broke out in large part because of 3-point shooting. With Kunc canning all five of his attempts from distance, the Cyclones were 13 of 25 on threes and canned 46 percent of their field-goal tries.
Iowa State also dominated the glass 46-22 and drew 21 assists off 29 field goals. Defensively, it held the Tigers to 31.1 percent shooting from the field and converted 15 turnovers into 19 points. Grambling managed just four offensive rebounds.
AJ Taylor scored 12 points and Danya Kingsby added 10 for the Tigers (0-4), who couldn’t produce much of anything inside to challenge the Cyclones. Grambling managed just 10 points in the lane.
However, the Tigers did get off to a decent start. Taylor canned a jumper at the 12:16 mark of the first half to give them a 15-12 lead. Then Kunc erupted and changed the game’s shape for good with his barrage of offense.
Beginning with a 3-pointer at the 11:23 mark, he scored the first 15 points of a 23-2 Iowa State run that ended with Hunter stealing the ball and then making a 3-pointer for a 35-17 advantage with 5:33 on the clock.
The game was never competitive after that. The Cyclones officially turned it into a rout by going on a 10-1 burst to end the half. Enaruna dunked with 30 seconds remaining and Iowa State took a 49-25 cushion into intermission.
The lead never dipped below 23 in the second half.
–Field Level Media
