AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State will spend the next two months playing in one the toughest leagues in the country.The Cyclones wont be able to struggle for more than a half like they did on Tuesday and expect to compete in the Big 12.Senior Matt Thomas scored a career-high 23 points to lead Iowa State past Mississippi Valley State 88-60, helping the Cyclones post back-to-back wins for the first time in a month.Naz Mitrou-Long had 19 points and Monte Morris scored 13 for the Cyclones (8-3), who shot 50 percent from 3-point range and finished on a 32-11 run.But Iowa State, plagued by turnovers, let winless Mississippi Valley State (0-12) rip off a 16-3 run in the first half and trailed the winless Delta Devils 25-24 at one point. The Cyclones also let MVSU grab 13 offensive rebounds.We had good stretches. We had bad stretches, said Mitrou-Long, who has scored 56 points in his last two games after struggling earlier this season. We cant get beat on the offensive glass.The Cyclones eventually overwhelmed MVSU as expected, jumping ahead 78-53 on a Thomas layup with just over six minutes left.Isaac Williams and Darrell Riley each scored 18 for the Delta Devils. They were outrebounded 43-28.Weve got to just get our tenacity and our swagger back on defense, Prohm said.BIG PICTUREIowa State: The Cyclones non-conference record is just eighth-best in the Big 12, which entered Tuesday with half of its members at 10-1 or better. Iowa State is much more likely to finish in the middle of the league than at the top of it -- but the Cyclones at least have a lot more depth than it did in 2015-16. Still, letting one of the nations worst teams hang around until well into the second half isnt a good look for the Cyclones.Mississippi Valley State: The Delta Devils open the season with 14 straight road games. But theyll stay in central Iowa to face Drake on Thursday -- a game they can win. The Bulldogs are 1-10.CARELESSIowa State was extremely sloppy with the ball in the first half, committing 10 turnovers -- its season average -- in the first 16:35. The Delta Devils turned those mistakes into 15 points, and thats the main reason they stayed competitive for as long as they did. The Cyclones finished with 15 turnovers.GOING YOUNGIowa States senior centers, Darrell Bowie (five points, two rebounds) and Merrill Holden (three points) struggled again, which might mean freshman Solomon Youngs will soon go up. The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Young has had issues with foul trouble early in his career. But Young had eight points and seven rebounds in just 15 minutes Tuesday.HE SAID ITWhen we play the way we have to play, because we are small, we do have to have a little nastiness to us. When we do that, I think the non-conference schedule has proven that we can play with anyone in the country, Prohm said. You wish the one game here (or there) you didnt drop, but its all about finishing games.UP NEXTIowa State opens Big 12 play on Dec. 30 when it hosts Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are 10-1, but their schedule has been far from taxing.MVSU will travel just 35 miles south to face Drake Thursday.---More college basketball at www.collegebasketball.ap.orgStitched Cheap Jerseys NFL . During the athletes parade, the 23-strong Ukrainian team was represented by a lone flagbearer in an apparent protest at the presence of Russian troops in Ukraines Crimean peninsula. Cheap NFL Jerseys Shop . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. http://www.nfljerseyschinastore.com/ . -- Nate Robinson has played for seven teams, so beating one of them is no longer a rare occurrence. NFL Jerseys Free Shipping . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. Jerseys NFL Wholesale China .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Three rounds done and dusted, and finally we have some separation on the ladder with Sydney Kings and Perth Wildcats sharing the penthouse apartment on 4-1 ahead of Brisbane Bullets, Adelaide 36ers and Melbourne United duking for the remaining spots in the top four.Illawarra Hawks, New Zealand Breakers and Cairns Taipans are glued to the bottom of the ladder, with the Breakers and Hawks having now lost a combined seven games on the trot after each won their opening fixtures. Theyll each be buoyed knowing its still very early in the season but this is shaping as an incredibly tough NBL season and consecutive wins is no easy feat.What stood out during Round 3, and who put forth their best performance?Pick PocketsSydney led Illawarra by eight points at halftime; then the third quarter got underway. The Kings set an NBL record with 11 steals in the quarter and blew the game wide open; behind that defensive onslaught the lead went from eight points to 27 and the game was over.Kevin Lisch was the main man for Sydney, finishing the game with a career-best six steals. Sydney sit atop the NBL standings and still have Julian Khazzouh and new signing Steve Blake to join the roster.Whered He Come From?Corey Webster set off on the fast break, two Brisbane Bullets players were in front of him and he thought he had them covered. What he didnt account for was Torrey Craig doing his best LeBron James impersonation and rising up from behind to block his layup attempt. The block was consumed by Craig, who then turned and heaved the ball forward to an open Cameron Baairstow to finish off the play.dddddddddddd It was the exclamation mark on a much needed Bullets victory.MVP WatchJerome Randle and Casey Prather are the early front runners. Theyve led their teams with stellar play and look unstoppable when theyre on their game; as was evident during Round 3.Randle is the quickest and craftiest guard in the league while Prather uses incredible athleticism to glide over the court. Randle is averaging 23.8 points per game with five assists; Prather has averages of 20.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists.Winning AwayPerth have built a fortress at home; they never lose inside of their own stadium. Travelling has always been their biggest opponent, and this season theyve played two games on the road.They opened in Brisbane, where they went down by seven points, but then on Sunday they defeated Melbourne away by three points and emphatically proved a point that they will take on any challengers anywhere, not just at home.Burst BubblesChris Goulding hasnt had his best start to an NBL season, but his worth to Melbourne United cannot be understated. Goulding had 13 points in 22 minutes against Brisbane, then the worst happened.Goulding stepped on the foot of a Brisbane player and turned an ankle. United would go on to win the game, holding off a late Brisbane rally. But then against Perth they werent so lucky, falling to the reigning champs. How long can United last without their star guard? ' ' '