Saturday’s regular season finale wasn’t supposed to go the way it did.

Iowa State’s 80-73 loss at the hands of Big 12 champion Texas Tech capped off a brutal four-week stretch in which the Cyclones went 2-6, losing three home games and dropping from second place in the league standings to fifth.

The Cyclones watched as Texas Tech — a team picked seventh in the Big 12 preseason poll — celebrated at least a share of the Big 12 championship on the court at Hilton Coliseum.

Exactly a month before Saturday’s finale, Iowa State was 7-3 in the Big 12 and tied for second. Texas Tech was 6-4, already having lost to Iowa State at home and reeling from a 2-4 stretch over its last six Big 12 games.

The difference since then? The Red Raiders have won all eight of their games while Iowa State has limped to the finish line. Yet players and coaches, for the most part, were in good spirits.

“We grew,” said coach Steve Prohm after the game. “I think we got better. I think we came together.”

The Cyclones’ recent tailspin led to a whirlwind of a week which culminated in Saturday’s performance.

Rumors swirled all week about fights in practice Monday. Redshirt senior Marial Shayok, the team’s leading scorer, missed a game for the first time all season with a toe injury sustained Monday and was a game-time decision for Saturday before ultimately playing (and tying for the team lead with 17 points).

“It definitely felt like progress,” Shayok said. “I definitely feel good going forward … It’s been a hell of a week, for sure. I’m just excited to move forward and get ready for next week.”

It’s tough to envision a scenario where a team losing six of eight to end the season feels good about its postseason chances, but Iowa State finds itself in that position.

Prohm said the focus his team lacked in recent games made a reappearance against Texas Tech. The ball movement picked up again, like when sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton and freshman guard Talen Horton-Tucker made beautiful consecutive passes leading to a Shayok corner three, cutting Texas Tech’s lead to three points with six minutes to play.

Put simply, the “Team A” Prohm has longed for since the end of January finally made its return.

“As crazy as it sounds, this is probably the first time in a long time that I’ve felt complete,” Prohm said. “It was like, we’ve gotta have each other’s backs. We’ve gotta get this thing going, fight our way through it. I thought we competed the right way today.”

After the loss, Iowa State’s players and coaches stuck around for Senior Day festivities. Thousands of fans stayed, too.

Prohm thanked the seniors — Nick Weiler-Babb, Zoran Talley Jr. and Shayok — one by one.

Prohm also thanked the fans who have stuck through the recent struggles.

“I know we haven’t been as good the last couple weeks as the majority of the season,” he said.

A fan yelled back.

“You can say that again.”

A few fans laughed. Most of the arena got quiet.

Prohm turned toward the general direction of the fan.

“Thank you,” Prohm said. “Appreciate the support.”

It’s hard to get to a point where 20 wins doesn’t satisfy fans, but losing six of eight to end the season is one of those ways.

That said, with the Big 12 Tournament still to come and a near-guaranteed NCAA Tournament bid on the way, Prohm and his team still have time to turn it around.

“I don’t think everything’s solved,” Prohm said. “Three weeks ago we were on top of the world. I think they just kinda re-committed themselves to each other.

“I don’t know what is was … sometimes, the outside noise, you just get tired of hearing it and you’ve gotta change. I thought we were complete today.”