Cyclones rattled by three-game losing streak

No one is panicking just yet, but Iowa State's men's basketball team is feeling the ill effects from a disappointing three-game losing streak.

“We are a little rattled right now,” forward Jamie Vanderbeken said Monday. “We have to get a good week of practice in and get focused and re-energized. This team has what it takes to do a lot of things.”

The Cyclones (6-3) returned home late Sunday following an 82-63 loss at California.

On Friday they play host to Iowa - which is at Northern Iowa tonight - at Hilton Coliseum. After that, ISU has nine days off before its next contest on Dec. 20.

“We need some time to spend on ourselves instead of preparing for the next opponent,” Coach Greg McDermott said. “It was a tough week for us. There's no way to spin it to sound better than it was. We have to play better in a lot of areas.”

Rebounding is one of them.

Cal pummeled the Cyclones on the boards by a 51-32 margin. They were minus-7 in rebounding the previous time out in a home loss to Northern Iowa.

The rebounding issues aren't allowing ISU to get out and run like McDermott wants.

It was the 19 offensive boards allowed that did them in against Cal, which finished with 26 second-chance points.

“There were some occasions that we'd block out the guys out but then no one came and grabbed the ball and Cal guy grabbed it,” said forward Craig Brackins.

It didn't help either that the Cyclones went 3 of 17 from beyond the 3-point line.

They came into the game ranked in the top five nationally in 3-point percentage. Sharpshooter Lucca Staiger missed all four of his attempts and did not score.

“Our shooters haven't shot it well,” McDermott said. “We have to get that back and clicking like it was in the beginning of the season.”

Vanderbeken missed the Cal game with a sprained knee sustained four days earlier against UNI.

Team trainer Vic Miller said the 6-foot-11 senior is “probable” for the Iowa game. A confidence-boosting victory would be very meaningful.

“We have to get back to what we do well - rebounding and running,” Vanderbeken said.

This team came into the year with postseason expectations.

The quality opponents it has faced have came out on top. It's still early, but the Cyclones need to get themselves righted soon.

“The competition has stepped up. We haven't,” Brackins said. ‘It's time for us to do something about it.”