As shooting slumps go, Jordan Hamilton's wasn't very long.
It was very frustrating.
Hamilton, a contender for Big 12 Player of the Year, broke out of a two-game slump with 20 points and No. 5 Texas rebounded from its first loss in a month with a 76-53 rout of Iowa State on Tuesday night.
Tristan Thompson added 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Longhorns (24-4, 12-1 Big 12). Hamilton and Thompson keyed a big Texas run at the start of the second half that put the game away.
Those two both struggled when Texas had its 11-game winning streak snapped in a loss at Nebraska last weekend. Hamilton was 3 of 16 from the field in that game and Thompson had just three rebounds. Hamilton had also struggled with his touch in a win last week over Oklahoma State.
''I spent some extra time in the gym,'' Hamilton said. ''I wanted to get my shot back. ... Tonight, I took good shots.''
It didn't happen right away. He missed his first three attempts against the Cyclones. As a team, Texas seemed like it was still a bit hung over from the loss. Iowa State grabbed an early lead and Thompson had a tip-in into in the wrong basket that drew a loud grown from the home crowd.
Hamilton then made four of his next five shots and scored eight points in a 15-6 Texas run. Gary Johnson made his first three-pointer of the season — and second of his career — and Hamilton converted a four-point play that put Texas up 33-23. Texas led 35-26 at halftime.
Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg implored his team in the locker room to push back and keep it close. The Cyclones had lost nine games by six points or less.
But the Longhorns effectively put the game away in the opening minutes of the second.
Johnson opened the half with another long jumper and Thompson scored five straight points. The Longhorns led 46-33 before Hamilton made consecutive threes in a 30-second span that pushed the Texas lead to 19 and the rout was on.
''Jordan came out with sparks flying. He couldn't be touched,'' Thompson said. ''That's what great players do.''
The run doomed Iowa State (14-14, 1-12) to its 10th straight loss. The Cyclones haven't won since beating Baylor on Jan. 15.
''The first five minutes (of the second half) were going to determine the outcome of the game. In a matter of three minutes, the lead went from nine to 20,'' Hoiberg said. ''You're fighting a battle you can't win when you get down 20.''
The Cyclones, who shot just 6 of 24 on three-pointers, never made a dent in the Texas lead. When the Longhorns' Matt Hill made a layup with 8:34 to play, Texas led 71-42.
Diante Garrett scored 16 points to lead Iowa State.
Hamilton finished 7 of 14 from the field, including 3 of 4 on threes. Johnson finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Thompson's double-double was his fifth.
Thompson said he was embarrassed by his poor rebounding against Nebraska and was determined to make up for it. Texas outrebounded Iowa State 45-36.
''I just wanted to be active,'' Thompson said.
While Hoiberg was trying to keep it close, the halftime message in the Texas locker room was ''don't let up.'' Texas had a recent pattern of building big first-half leads, then letting opponents rally in the second.
''Keep the foot on the gas and don't let up on them,'' Thompson said.
By doing that, Texas kept its one-game lead over Kansas on top of the Big 12 standings with three regular-season games left to play at Colorado, at home against Kansas State and at Baylor.
Iowa State, which has lost seven straight to Texas, played its third consecutive game without senior forward Jamie Vanderbeken, who has a sprained left ankle.
Before the game, Texas coach Rick Barnes suspended reserve forward Alexis Wangmene indefinitely for an unspecified violation of team rules. Wangmene, who played in every game before Tuesday night and averaged 2.4 points, was on the bench in street clothes.
