ESPN Men's Basketball

AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Wesley Johnson scored 16 points, Craig Brackins and Cory Johnson each added 13 and Iowa State cruised past Bethune-Cookman 80-57 Monday night in the first round of the Las Vegas Classic.

Jiri Hubalek chipped in with 12 points and eight rebounds for the Cyclones, who broke the game open with a 24-3 run between the end of the first half and the start of the second.

Iowa State (5-4) has won three of its last four and is over .500 for the first time since mid-November.

Up 10 after a 10-0 run to end the first half, Iowa State put the game out of reach with a 14-3 spurt to open the second. Bryan Peterson drained a 3-pointer, Wesley Johnson followed with a layup and a 3 and Rahshon Clark added an acrobatic floater that put the Cyclones ahead 51-30 with 15:23 left.

Bethune-Cookman never got closer than 18 the rest of the way. Dominique Whatley scored 16 to lead the Wildcats (4-5), who saw their winning streak snapped at four.

Wesley Johnson has been battling a bone bruise in his left foot that has yet to completely heal, so his effort was an encouraging sign for the Cyclones. The sophomore guard -- Iowa State's only legitimate scoring threat in the backcourt -- was 7-of-11 from the floor.

The Cyclones jumped ahead by as much as 18-8 and appeared headed toward an easy night, but the Wildcats tied the game at 27 on the strength of a 12-2 run.

That seemed to wake up Iowa State. It held Bethune-Cookman scoreless over the final four minutes of the first half and took a 37-27 lead on Diante Garrett's jumper just before the buzzer.

Bethune-Cookman played without its second-leading scorer, Jimmy Hudson, who missed the game with a high ankle sprain. Josh Cummings scored 11 points and Dewayne Pettus for the Wildcats, who committed 17 turnovers.