Iowa flexed its depth in a 78-58 District 4-3A win over St. Louis Tuesday night at McNeese State’s Legacy Center.

Jarlen Richard led a first-half push by the Iowa (17-4, 3-0) bench. Trailing 15-10 late in the first quarter, Yellow Jackets head coach Rob Melanson pulled all five starters.

Iowa outscored St. Louis 30-13 over the rest of the half with Richard leading the way with 12 points, two steals and an assist.

Reserves scored 24 of the 30 Iowa points in the outburst. Richard scored on a fast-break, 3-point play, runner off his own steal and a 3-pointer.

Dashawn Ceasar had five off the bench while fellow reserves Luke Guillory and Kendrick Jasmine each scored a basket.

The onslaught continued in the third quarter with Ceasar scoring the first 11 Iowa points of the quarter as the Yellow Jackets stretched a 12-point halftime lead to 19 points.

Iowa reserves scored 46 points.

Ceasar finished with 22 points.

Bryson Hardy scored 11 points in the first half to lead St. Louis (12-9, 1-2) which led by as many as seven points in the first quarter behind a torrid shooting start. Drew Morgan scored nine points in the opening quarter to help the Saints jump ahead.

Hardy finished with a game-high 30 points. Morgan added 14 for the Saints.

The win was the eighth straight for Iowa, the district’s lone undefeated team in league play. Iowa concludes the first half of district play Friday at South Beauregard.

St. Louis plays at Jennings.

The 78 points for Iowa were the most St. Louis has allowed all season. The Saints had held four of their previous five opponents to 52 points or fewer.