AMES – Iowa State basketball did its best to make things decidedly drearier in the Sunflower State this week.
The 18th-ranked Cyclones scored a decisive 79-75 victory over No. 8 Kansas on Saturday afternoon to preserve a perfect week and perfect record inside Hilton Coliseum this season.
It was the second win of the week for Iowa State (16-4, 5-2 Big 12) against its southwesterly neighbors as the Cyclones defeated Kansas State, in a somewhat controversial fashion, on Wednesday.
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The pair of victories put Iowa State squarely in the Big 12 title race nearly midway through the conference slate, with Texas Tech currently alone in first place with one league loss.
“Our standard is the top of the Big 12,” Cyclone point guard Tamin Lipsey said, “and that’s what we’re competing for every day. That’s what we’ve worked for since this summer. We’ve put in countless hours in the gym and together off the court.
“We expect the most from ourselves and each other as a team. I’m looking for big things out of us continuing on this season. “
After beating the Jayhawks by 15 at Hilton Coliseum a year ago, Saturday marked the first time Iowa State defeated Kansas at home in back-to-back years since 2015 and 2016.
Iowa State was bolstered by one of its best 3-point shooting performances of the season. The Cyclones hit a season-high 14 shots from beyond the arc, besting the 10 they connected on against both Eastern Illinois and Florida A&M in non-conference play.
Cyclone forward Tre King, who came into the game having made 3-of-16 attempts from 3-point range, was 4-of-7 from deep en route to 21 points. Keshon Gilbert added 16 for the Cyclones. Lipsey had eight assists.
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Cyclones dial in from distance
Iowa State led by as many as 12 points in the second half, but Kansas cut the lead to two in the final minute.
Fittingly for the day, it was a 3-pointer that provided the Cyclones with the breathing room that would ultimately take them past the finish line.
With Iowa State clinging to a two-point lead and the shot clock going down to its final second, Gilbert delivered a 3-pointer that put the Cyclones up five with 41 seconds to play, and Kansas was unable to threaten the Cyclones’ lead again.
“In the first half we ran the same play, and two (defenders) came to me and I had to kick it out Milan (Momcilovic),” Gilbert said. “They kind of guarded it a little different. I didn’t have nowhere to go so I hit him with a little move and I just shot it.
“I was lucky enough for it to go in.”
Iowa State was 14 of 30 from 3-point range. The Cyclones have been among the worst 3-point shooters in the Big 12 in league play, entering Saturday shooting 27.4% from deep against conference opponents.
“Give them credit,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Could we have done better? Yes. A lot of it was they made shots they hadn’t been making statistically this year. We played the percentages, thinking coming up here that would be the smart play and we could eliminate some ball-screen stuff by switching.
“They made us pay for it. They shot it great.”
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