KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Kansas has been the kings of the Big 12 for a majority of this decade, but the Cyclones have been the kings of Kansas City, Missouri, for a majority of that stretch.

Iowa State reaffirmed its place in the Kansas City pecking order with a 78-66 win over the Jayhawks on Saturday.

“We’ve been talking about this since the summer, really — Big 12 Championship,” said freshman guard Tyrese Haliburton. “We didn’t win the regular season like we mentioned all year, but we won this one.”

The Jayhawks failed to claim at least a portion of the Big 12 regular season crown for the first time since 2004, but Kansas sought redemption at the Big 12 Tournament.

A team that’s battled through the Big 12 field plenty of times grinded past 6 seed Texas, 65-57. The Jayhawks lucked out with 10 seed West Virginia knocking off 2 seed Texas Tech.

With a date against West Virginia, Kansas struggled early before pulling away in an 88-74 win.

On opposite side of the bracket, Iowa State picked Baylor apart, setting up a rubber match with 1 seed Kansas State.

Iowa State clawed out a 63-59 win after blowing a 10-point first half lead. 

“We stayed together,” said senior guard Marial Shayok, the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. “We knew we could trust coach Prohm’s gameplan — [the] fans out here supporting us. I mean, all the odds are for us, so we just came out there and did what we do.”

After half with a 32-22 lead, the stage seemed set for another run from Iowa State’s opponent — similar to the Kansas State game.

Kansas struck first, with a Devon Dotson layup to cut the deficit to single digits. After the bucket, Haliburton drilled a 3-pointer to kill some of the Jayhawk momentum.

In the next couple minutes, Iowa State withstood Kansas’ offensive attack, limiting the Jayhawks to zero points. On offense, the Cyclones grabbed two points off free throws and a Shayok jumper. 

The made jumper triggered a Bill Self timeout. After the 30-second timeout, the five on the floor hopped back to the half court they played defense on.

The five exchanged smiles and slaps on the back, and Iowa State appeared in control. With some of the struggles to close the regular season, the Cyclones looked like an entirely different group from those three weeks.

When the whistle blew and play began, the Cyclones added a bucket, but the Jayhawks followed with a 9-2 run to trim the deficit back down to 10.

Instead of folding like it might have a couple weeks ago, Iowa State stiffened up with a 9-2 run of its own off a Lindell Wigginton layup, Michael Jacobson 3-pointer and Shayok jumper.

“We started buying into what coach has been preaching, and man, we’re tough,” said redshirt senior guard Nick Weiler-Babb.

From that point on, Kansas flirted with making a run, but Iowa State always answered back and never lost under a nine-point cushion.

The Cyclones closed out the game by hitting 14-of-14 from the free throw line in the final nine minutes. 

“It’s a new season once postseason starts, really,” Haliburton said. “Three-game losing streak? Our record was 0-0 when we walked in this building. We’re 3-0 now.

“We’re just going to keep it rolling.”