Iowa State welcomes back Cam Lard, Zoran Talley in North Dakota State win

AMES - Iowa State coach Steve Prohm didn't want to change much, if anything, Monday with the additions of forward Cam Lard and wing Zoran Talley to the Cyclones' lineup as Iowa State beat North Dakota State 81-59.

Iowa State (7-1) kept the same starting five it had used this season and jumped out to an early 27-10 lead at Hilton Coliseum.

'We came out of the gate really hot and we played really well together,” guard Nick Weiler-Babb said. 'We were getting stops on the defensive end and that's good to show after a week off. That was a good thing to see.”

Prohm didn't want to change anything too much because he likes the style of play his team is playing right now. They're moving the ball crisply on offense and playing solid defense.

Iowa State had 16 assists on 33 made baskets. It also had 10 blocks and eight steals on the defensive end. Freshman George Conditt had five of those blocks in 10 minutes of action.

Iowa State's scoring was paced by Marial Shayok who had 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting. He also had three steals.

Michael Jacobson recorded his second straight double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

'What I tried to do tonight was get a lot of guys minutes when we got the lead extended,” Prohm said. 'As our numbers increase, it's still important to get guys in and get them experience because there is going to be a time and place where you're going to need somebody. It's good to keep everybody alert.”

Talley played 16 minutes and Lard played 10.

Lard came out of the gates hot, blocking two NDSU (2-7) shots in the first minute. He also had an ally-oop slam in his 10 minutes. But by the end of his run, he looked gassed.

Talley was steadier, finishing with four points and two assists.

'I thought they fit in fine,” Prohm said. 'It's just going to be a process coming back. They missed a month of the season. Because of that, guys have established identities and established roles. Like I told them, whether it's five minutes or 10 minutes, ‘Do you max those minutes out? If you max those minutes out, then we can trust you as we continue to go forward.' It may be a gradual process of working their way back in.”

Talley is a fifth-year senior and Lard was an all-conference player last season. They likely didn't think they'd have to gradually work their way back into the lineup.

'That's part of it,” Prohm said. 'I thought they handled themselves well tonight. I thought Zoran, in his 16 minutes, played with good energy. You saw some things he can provide for us. Then Cameron, we're playing a little bit different (than we did last year), so he has to continue to get used to that. Then they both have to get their game conditioning.”

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