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.orgHydro Flask Sale Canada . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. Hydro Flask Sale . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. http://www.hydroflaskombrecanada.com/hydro-flask-ombre-40-oz-sale.html . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. Hydro Flask Coffee Sale . - Chris Tierney snapped a tie with a power-play goal late in the third period as the London Knights rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the Erie Otters 5-3 in Ontario Hockey League action on Wednesday. Hydro Flask 40 Oz Canada . -- Aaron Murray threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns, ran for another score, and led No.NFL teams will be getting an improved tablet to use for games and strategizing this season.Microsoft has developed the Surface Pro 4 device that provides bigger, lighter, faster, and brighter displays to best handle the difficult and sometimes harsh environments of NFL sidelines. Among the upgrades are enhanced daylight readability of photos and notes thanks to a brighter and higher contrast display; a thinner yet more rugged case; stronger batteries that last longer; more functional pen and tether storage; and a variety of applications to further help in game planning.The Surface Pro 4 will also continue to provide features that improve sideline collaboration and decision making, says Jeff Tran, director of sports marketing and alliances at Microsoft, like annotation with the pen, and the new whiteboard feature that NFL franchises are continuing to utilize to diagram in-game plays.Non-game tablets used by the clubs can have their team logo on the covers, a new development that Microsoft is making availablle to the public, too.dddddddddddd The Type Covers transform the tablets into the form of a traditional laptop for use away from the field. That should ease the chore for players and coaches taking notes in meetings, or for scouts reports or front office work.Were extremely proud to provide Surface as a solution to enhance game play and overall productivity for players and coaches, Tran says. And this year, were excited to help fans personalize their own Surface devices with the debut of special edition NFL Type Covers for Surface Pro 3 and 4, which are now available for all 32 teams.Similar to last year, Microsoft and the NFL are using in-game video playback during preseason games, but it has not been approved for the regular season. Owners will further discuss use of video at their meetings in the fall and winter.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLCheap JerseysChina NFL JerseysWholesale Baseball Jerseys ' ' '