A 13-game losing streak to Big 12 powerhouse Kansas ended Saturday as Iowa State knocked off the No. 5 Jayhawks 72-64 in front of a packed house at Hilton Coliseum.

The Lowdown

A back-and-forth second half came to its breaking point with 8:04 remaining in the game with the score tied at 53. KU guard Elijah Johnson fouled ISU guard Tyrus McGee on an acrobatic jump shot that went in, and McGee followed it up with a free throw to give Iowa State (15-6, 5-3 Big 12) a three-point lead. Kansas (17-4, 7-1 Big 12) responded with two made jumpers after ISU forward Royce White scored on a pair of layups.

With 1:21 remaining, ISU junior guard Chris Babb intercepted a pass by Johnson, passed the ball up to his backcourt mate Scott Christopherson, who fed it back to Babb for a 3-pointer which Babb knocked down in front of the ISU bench. Kansas responded with a five points on their next two possessions, but the Cyclones’ free throw shooting down the stretch kept the game in ISU’s favor. With 15.2 seconds left in the game, Christopherson was fouled and KU coach Bill Self substitued his entire lineup so that it would not be injured by ISU fans rushing the floor when the game ended.

After trailing by three at halftime, the Jayhawks started off the second half with an 11-2 run to take a 45-39 lead. The Cyclones recaptured the lead four and a half minutes later as junior forward Anthony Booker made a three-pointer from the corner to give Iowa State a 50-49 advantage. Kansas would lead only once more in the game following a Johnson dunk that gave the Jayhawks a 53-52 lead with 8:15 left.

The two teams combined for 22 turnovers in the first half but a plus-7 rebounding margin and 11 points from sophomore forward Melvin Ejim keyed Iowa State’s 37-34 halftime lead.

Turning Point

With 2:18 on the clock, KU guard Tyshawn Taylor hit a floater to cut Iowa State’s lead to 62-59. White was fouled on the baseline by KU forward Thomas Robinson and knocked down a pair of free throws. Babb picked off a pass from Johnson on the other end of the floor and pushed the ball up the floor to Christopherson. Christopherson passed the ball back to Babb on the left wing and with 56 seconds on the clock Babb rose up and drained a 3 from the left wing. The bucket gave Iowa State an eight-point lead and forced Self to call a timeout.

The Jayhawks would cut Iowa State’s lead down to five but Christopherson and McGee combined to make four of five free throws down the stretch to seal the victory and spur a mass of ISU fans to storm the court in celebration.

X Factor

ISU sophomore forward Royce White

The 6-foot-8, 270-pounder went toe-to-toe with national player of the year candidate Thomas Robinson and led all players with 18 points and nine rebounds. White, who entered the game shooting 38.8 percent from the free throw line, took care of business at the stripe making all six of his second-half free throws after missing all three in the first half. The Minneapolis native also finished 6-11 from the field and led the Cyclones with five assists.

By the numbers

0: 3s made by Babb against Kansas this season before knocking one down with 56 seconds left in the game to give Iowa State a 67-59 lead. It was Babb’s tenth attempt through both games.

5: players in double figures for Kansas led by Taylor’s 16 points.

13: first-half turnovers for Iowa State. The Cyclones entered Saturday’s game only turning the ball over more than 13 times in nine of 20 games this season.

13: consecutive losses for Iowa State against Kansas dating back to a 63-61 overtime win at Kansas on February 19, 2005.

17: years since Iowa State had defeated a top 5 team at home dating back to a win against No. 3 Kansas on Jan. 14 1995.

19: turnovers for Iowa State, a season-high.

36-23: rebounding margin in favor of Iowa State, marking the second time the Cyclones outrebounded the Jayhawks this season. Kansas has only been outrebounded four times this season in 21 games.

14,376: fans in attendance at Hilton Coliseum, the second sellout of the season (December 9 vs. Iowa)

Up next for Iowa State

The Cyclones will remain at home on Tuesday when they’ll take on the other Big 12 squad from the Sunflower State, Kansas State. The No. 22 Wildcats (15-4, 4-3 Big 12) host Oklahoma at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Coach Frank Martin’s squad is led by the Big 12’s leading scorer in conference play in junior guard Rodney McGruder who averages 20.6 points per game. Iowa State dropped both games to Kansas State last season including a 86-85 loss at home.