Missouri basketball team wastes little time crushing Cyclones

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Missouri was in charge from the tipoff. So much in charge that the Tigers dealt Iowa State one of the most lopsided losses in the 230-game series history.

Ricardo Ratliffe matched his career best with six blocked shots and Michael Dixon had 15 points with three 3-pointers, helping the 13th-ranked Tigers run the Cyclones out of the gym early in an 87-54 rout Saturday night. The margin was the school's biggest since a 55-20 victory in Ames in 1920, and biggest at home since a 53-14 victory Jan. 9, 1909.

"Whoever we play, we always feel we have a pretty deep team and try to use that to our advantage," Missouri guard Kim English said. "If they stuck around with us early, their confidence would only get bigger.

"So we definitely made a concerted effort to make stops early."

Jake Anderson had 20 points for the Cyclones (14-6, 1-4 Big 12), who committed a season-worst 19 turnovers and went 4 of 22 from 3-point range while getting blown out for the first time.

Missouri's Ricky Kreklow, left, and Steve Moore battle for a rebound during the first half Saturday.

"We just played stupid, to be honest with you," Iowa State guard Scott Christopherson said. "We made a ton of turnovers and it kind of snowballed from there."

The previous largest margin in the series was 31 points by Missouri in 2009. Iowa State's point total matched its season low.

The Tigers totaled nine blocks.

"I guess when you get that many blocks, people start to think," the 6-foot-9 Ratliffe said. "They've got to look over their shoulders."

Jamie Vanderbeken threw up a dud with five points after going 13 of 19 from 3-point range the previous two games and was benched much of the second half Saturday.

Diante Garrett was held to six points on 3-of-17 shooting and Christopherson was 2 of 8 for five points.

Missouri (17-3, 3-2) had the game over by halftime, forging a 22-point lead with play dominant enough to overcome its own mistakes, including nine turnovers and 5-of-14 shooting from 3-point range.

The Tigers have won six in a row in the series and are 83-21 at home overall.

Iowa State has lost three of four but been competitive, either leading or tied in the final minute of all but one of its setbacks before Saturday's stinker. The Cyclones were hitting 39 percent from 3-point range before Saturday.

"This is one of those teams that once things start going in the wrong direction, it snowballs," Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said. "It's not a 45 percent decline."

Much of a sellout crowd of 15,061 was on the road midway through the second half as Missouri went to 13-0 at home. The Tigers have led by at least 15 points in all but one of their last nine at home.

Marcus Denmon scored 13 points, Ratliffe and English added 12 apiece and Justin Safford had 11.

Iowa State's worst halftime deficit was 10 points in a one-point loss at Nebraska on Jan. 8 before Saturday.

Missouri shrugged off foul trouble that limited Safford and Phil Pressey to 4 minutes apiece in the run-and-gun first half. Ratliffe had two impressive plays, closing ground fast to block Melvin Ejim's fast-break layup attempt and driving the length of the court for a layup.

"He has the freedom to do that," Missouri coach Mike Anderson said. "If he runs somebody over, I'll take that freedom away. The kid is pretty versatile."

Iowa State was even off on free throws, missing 3 of 8 in the first half to equal its total misses from the previous three games and going 12 of 18 overall.

The Cyclones were scoreless for more than 4 minutes in the first half while Missouri scored eight straight points for a 28-16 lead.