Fans were the only ones stopping Rahshon Clark Saturday.

The senior forward became the 26th player in school history to reach 1,000 points Saturday, fighting an injured ankle during the game and fans wanting autographs afterward.

“I’m feeling alright,” Clark said. “You’ve just got to play through some injuries and that’s what I did tonight. I couldn’t let a little sprained ankle stop me from playing. We needed this win.”

Both the mark and the win were hard to come by. The 6’6 senior etched his name in Cyclone record books when he connected on a three-pointer from the top of the key with .38 seconds remaining in the first-half to bring the Cyclones to within two of the visiting Cowboys. Point 1,004 helped give Iowa State a one point lead with 16:04 left in the second half when he hit his second three of the afternoon. He finished the day with shooting 3-of-4 from the field, with 10 points.

“It’s a great feeling,” he said. “I’m up there with the top guys that did a lot for this program and it’s a great feeling, especially getting it at home and with a win.”

Clark got more than a win Saturday as he became the first player in Cyclone history to rank in the top-10 in steals, blocks, and three-pointers. His pair of steals puts him 10th on the school list for the category with 134. He also added a sprained ankle that took him off the court for a short period of time in the first half.

“My teammates have my back and if it wasn’t for them I don’t know if I would have been able to play,” he said.

That didn’t have to happen. The senior returned to action where he spent most of the afternoon guarding Oklahoma freshman James Anderson in the first half and junior Terrel Harris in the second. Anderson, who averaged 16.2 points per game entering Saturday’s matchup had only a pair in the opening half while Harris was held to just four in the second.

“He did a great job on Anderson the first half and did a great job on Terrel Harris the second half,” McDermott said. “Besides him going over 1,000 points, he was pretty important to this game defensively.”

Clark wasn’t just on Anderson and Harris. The senior exchanged words with Oklahoma State freshman Martavius Adams after a Craig Brackins free-throw and was called for a technical foul. Adams was called for a foul and later McDermott picked up a technical of his own, igniting the Iowa State crowd. Clark declined to elaborate on the specifics of the conversation.

McDermott, however, spoke of how much the senior has meant to him and the rest of the team, many who were waiting for him, while he tossed Saturday’s game ball in the air after coming down with the final rebound.

“His leadership and his commitment to the program has been a great example to all the young people we have brought in,” McDermott said. “They’ve seen how Rahshon has sacrificed and how he’s changed his game to help our team be successful.”

That included playing with an injured ankle.

“We needed this win,” Clark said. “If I couldn’t have went in I would have pulled (Greg McDermott) to the side and told him that I couldn’t.”