Cyclones face quick turnaround after first loss

DES MOINES — Conversations after losses aren't fun ones to have, particularly when you're a top-five team that just lost to an in-state mid-major opponent.

No. 2 Iowa State played with fire on its defensive lapses and got burned by Northern Iowa's hot-shooting in an 81-79 loss, but the Cyclones aren't focused on what might have been. With two non-conference games left in December, a gauntlet of a Big 12 schedule awaits with a road trip to No. 3 Oklahoma up first.

Sluggish starts and allowing the opponent's best player to set the tone early was a cause for concern against Iowa and Northern Iowa, but it doesn't have ISU players hitting the panic button just yet.

'I feel like (slow starts have) only happened in two games so I mean if you want to go into last year, that's a whole different topic,' said Georges Niang. 'I wouldn't say it's draining, but we do it to ourselves and we're looking to improve. Coach is helping us improve every day.'

The usually talkative Niang was subdued after a loss in which the Panthers (7-3) outshot his Cyclones — the first such occasion this season for Iowa State — 58 to 52.5 percent. Northern Iowa's 13 3-pointers ended the Cyclones' six-game winning streak against in-state teams and handed coach Steve Prohm his first loss with the team.

Iowa State is on a quick turnaround and will play its first true road game of the season at No. 20 Cincinnati on Tuesday night. Losing his first game had Prohm as down as the players, but he knows it's up to him to set a tone of moving on and learning.

'We've got to get ready for Cincinnati and we've got to get Iowa State better,' Prohm said. 'It's always about the next game. Everybody is down. I'm down. I want to win. I want to win every game. None of us have lost a lot of games, but I understand I can't go nuts. It's just not my personality. We'll go to work and be ready to go against Cincinnati.'

The Cyclones got their first taste of life with Deonte Burton against the Panthers and saw what he could provide with his athleticism. The junior had seven points and three rebounds in 15 minutes and said even with Naz Mitrou-Long out of the lineup, he didn't feel pressure to try to change his game.

'(Prohm) just told me that everything isn't going to happen how fast I want it to happen,' Burton said. 'Just be consistent and be everything we need. With one game it might be rebounding and one game it might be scoring. The next game it might be defense. Just be a versatile player.'

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