Iowa State @ Mississippi preview

Iowa State and Mississippi will look to stem the tide of their respective losing stretches while adding to the other's on Saturday afternoon when they compete in the Big 12/SEC Challenge in Oxford, Miss. The 25th-ranked Cyclones have dropped three of their last five while the 20th-ranked Rebels have lost two of three following a 10-game winning streak.

Iowa State's recent troubles are not a reflection on senior guard Marial Shayok, who added to his conference-leading points per game average (19.8) after scoring 26 in Monday's 80-76 setback to Kansas. "A lot of teams are trying to take me out of the game right now just because the way I'm scoring," the 6-foot-6 Shayok said, via the Ames Tribune. "I'm just trying to find my opportunities, especially down the stretch when we need a bucket. I just try to provide for my team." While a 14-0 run by the Jayhawks led to the Cyclones' downfall in their last outing, Mississippi also was done in by a poor start as foul trouble that brought about an early exit for senior guard Terence Davis in Tuesday's 74-53 loss against Alabama. "So immature," Rebels coach Kermit Davis said. "I'm just not used to player technicals, so that's why I just left him in to foul out. Guy has been in the league for four years and to act that way. We all got exactly what we deserved."

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ABOUT IOWA STATE (14-5): Lindell Wigginton's shooting struggles continued against Kansas as he made just 1-of-8 shots from the field to limp to an 11-for-47 mark over his last four games. Talen Horton-Tucker picked up the slack with 16 points to reach double figures in scoring for the first time since Dec. 15. The freshman shot 4-for-8 from 3-point range in that contest after going 6-for-28 in his previous eight games.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI (14-4): Junior guard Breein Tyree (club-best 17.0 ppg) was limited to just nine points versus the Crimson Tide while junior center Dominik Olejniczak answered a season-high 13-point performance in an 84-67 triumph over Arkansas last Saturday by scoring just four against Alabama. Devontae Shuler, who was a teammate of Wigginton at Oak Hill Academy, continues to be limited while playing with a stress reaction in his foot. The sophomore guard mustered just two points in 17 minutes versus the Crimson Tide and has 11 in his last three games after averaging 11.5 in his previous four contests.

TIP-INS

1. Mississippi freshman G Blake Hinson has scored just 13 points in his last three games after erupting for a season-high 26 in an 81-77 win at Mississippi State on Jan. 12.

2. Iowa State senior G Nick Weiler-Babb is shooting 50 percent from the field (16-for-32) while scoring in double figures in each of the last four contests.

3. The teams are meeting for just the second time, with the Cyclones posting a 73-68 triumph on Dec. 23, 2000.

PREDICTION: Mississippi 78, Iowa State 72