KANSAS CITY — Shot for shot, Iowa State and Kansas State matched each other March 13, until the Cyclones found a way to close the game down the stretch for a 91-85 Big 12 Championship quarterfinal victory against Kansas State at the Sprint Center. 

Tied 78-all with 2:53 to play, ISU guard Naz Long hit a 3-pointer from the top for a 3-point ISU lead. Long and Georges Niang scored 13 of Iowa State’s final 15 points in the last three minutes after senior DeAndre Kane fouled out to help the Cyclones advance to the Big 12 Championship semifinals. 

Melvin Ejim scored 24 points in the win to go with 10 rebounds. Dustin Hogue scored 19 points, including 14 in the second half. Niang ended with 18 points.

Marcus Foster scored 21 points for Kansas State, but was limited to five in the second half after leading the way for the Wildcats in the first half. 

Iowa State moves to to the Big 12 Championship semifinals at 6 p.m. March 14, where it will face the winner of the Oklahoma State and Kansas game. 

Turning Point

With 2:53 to play and the game tied 78-all, Naz Long stepped up for Iowa State and hit a 3-pointer from the top for a 3-point lead. Kansas State would get within one, but the Cyclones never trailed, pulling away for a 6-point win.

X Factor

Naz Long — The sophomore guard, one game removed from his 3-pointer that sent Iowa State to overtime on Senior Day at Hilton Coliseum, stepped up to hit the go-ahead 3-pointer when the game was tied 78-all Thursday.

Long scored nine of the final 15 points for Iowa State, finishing with 14 points off the bench on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and two 3-pointers. 

By the numbers

43 — ISU coach Fred Hoiberg said in the week leading up to Thursday’s game that Kansas State was the Cyclones’ most physical matchup. After 43 fouls and an intense back-and-forth game, those words rang true.

10 — ISU freshman Monte Morris dished out 10 of Iowa State’s 21 assists, setting the team’s Big 12 Championship record for assists in a game. The record knocks out Korie Lucious from last season.

6 — Six different ISU players hit 3-pointers in the victory as Iowa State went 8-of-18 overall from beyond the arc.

Postgame chatter

“If you would have told me they would score 85, I would have told you we’re going to have trouble winning a game because they’re so good and sound defensively. They really pack that thing in off the corners. But I thought our guys made big plays.” — ISU coach Fred Hoiberg

“It was real physical. I mean, every team is trying to outwill their team to win. So people are playing extremely hard and at a high level. Credit to them, they played extremely hard and they played extremely well.” — ISU forward Georges Niang