Cade Cunningham scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half, setting the tone early for Oklahoma State during a 76-58 victory over Iowa State on Tuesday afternoon in Stillwater, Okla.

Cunningham, projected by many to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, had his best scoring first half of the season as the Cowboys (14-6, 7-6 Big 12) used their size and athleticism to take the lead for good just seven minutes into the game.

Cunningham, who shot 7-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-6 from 3-point range, also finished with seven assists and five rebounds. Cunningham showed hustle early, sacrificing his body and even leaving the game briefly during the first half after scraping his knee on the court diving for a loose ball.

The Cowboys, who lost their top-25 ranking after a loss at Kansas last week, picked up their second consecutive win. Oklahoma State needed the victory before it embarks on a tough four-game stretch -- all against ranked opponents -- to finish the regular season.

Iowa State (2-15, 0-12) suffered its 11th consecutive defeat and 16th in a row against conference opponents, dating back to last season. Jalen Coleman-Lands led the Cyclones with 17 points.

Rasir Bolton finished with 15 points and six rebounds and Javan Johnson had nine points and seven rebounds for ISU.

The Cyclones pulled as close as six points in the second half but couldn't overcome the Cowboys' size and athleticism. OSU outscored Iowa State 42-22 in the paint even without Isaac Likekele, who sat out for the second consecutive game with a foot injury.

Kalib Boone established himself from the opening score when he threw down a thunderous dunk off an alley-oop from Bryce Williams. Eight of Boone's 10 first-half points came on dunks and he scored 15 for the game on 7-of-8 shooting.

Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe finished with 19 points and eight rebounds while Rondel Walker scored 10 points and had four steals for OSU.

The Cowboys committed a season-high 24 turnovers in their prior win over Iowa State on Jan. 25. But this time, Oklahoma State protected the ball better as it finished with 13 turnovers.

--Field Level Media