The ISU men’s basketball team extended its home winning streak to three games on Saturday as junior Omar Bynum laid in the winning basket with less than one second to play to defeat the Kansas State Wildcats, 73-71.

“We were determined to get a win. We were very focused at the end of the game,” freshman Jared Homan said. “After being in a bunch of close game situations, you get used to it, and I guess you learn a little bit.”

Two free throws from sophomore Jake Sullivan put the Cyclones up 71-68 with 15 seconds left to play, but Wildcat senior Larry Reid hit a big three with 10 seconds remaining to tie the game.

Without calling a time-out, Iowa State charged back down the floor. Shane Power got the ball with a good look at the basket but made the extra pass to Bynum, who laid it in, leaving Kansas State less than a second to hurl the ball down court with no success.

“I thought he was going to shoot, and I was going to get ready to go rebound,” Bynum said about Power. “But he just passed it to me real quick, and I just tried to release it as soon as I could.”

With no set play in mind, ISU head coach Larry Eustachy said he likes to catch defenses off guard and just try to make something happen.

“We just go down and play basketball. I think it gives the opponent no chance to throw a zone out there or press,” Eustachy said. “It’s really the most incredible play of the year – it really is. To be able to do that under those circumstances with that time left and make one more pass.”

Despite trailing by as many as 13 in the game, the Cyclones were able to battle back and pull out a close victory in the closing moments, a situation that hasn’t always favored Iowa State this season.

“It was nice to win one of those – that’s the best way to put it,” Eustachy said.

Senior Tyray Pearson led the way for the Cyclones with 20 points and 11 rebounds, his second double-double of the season. Bynum scored 12 for his fourth-straight game scoring in double figures.

Power chipped in 18 points and sophomore Jake Sullivan added 13, but the two were most effective at the free throw line, going a combined 16 of 17.

Freshman point guard Ricky Morgan had another solid game, dishing out seven assists to just two turnovers and going two-for-two from the field for four points.

“He’s a good part of this team, and the players are starting to understand he would rather give it to them than take it himself,” Eustachy said.

Sullivan had a tough day from the floor making just two of 12 attempts as Reid and other Wildcats were able to keep him contained.

Reid, along with his good defense, led all scorers with 21 points to go along with his five assists.

“He’s a great player – he’s really underrated,” Eustachy said. “He gets himself such great scoring opportunities – he’s a special player.”

Kansas State led 39-32 at half as the team shot nearly 57 percent from the field. The second half was a different story, as the Wildcats were plagued with foul trouble and got outscored 22-12 in the paint.

“Give Kansas State credit; they are a very good team,” Eustachy said. “They were very physical, they made great plays, they executed better. It was a nice win for our program and for our young team.”

With Sullivan struggling and Pearson fouling out with 1:28 left to play, things were looking dim for Iowa State.

But Homan, playing for Pearson, stepped it up at the end, making two big free throws with 33 seconds left.

“I was extremely focused, probably the most focused I’ve ever been,” Homan said. “I don’t know if I could have gotten up in the morning and looked at myself in the mirror if we would have lost that close game.”

The team was overjoyed after the game as they celebrated on the floor.

Sullivan and others took the time to throw T-shirts into the crowd.

“It feels good to come back and show we have great character on this team,” Morgan said.

boxscore

IOWA STATE 73, KANSAS STATE 71

KANSAS STATE (11-14)

Siebrandt 4-5 2-6 10, Pasco 4-6 5-7 13, Reid 8-19 4-4 21, Williams 5-9 1-3 11, DeJesus 3-4 0-0 7, Buchanan 0-1 0-0 0, Da Barrosa 2-5 0-0 4, Atichison 2-5 1-2 5, Canby 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-54 13-22 71.

IOWA STATE (12-16)

Bynum 4-8 4-7 12, Power 5-7 8-9 18, Pearson 8-14 4-6 20, Sullivan 2-12 8-8 13, Morgan 2-2 0-0 4, Fries 0-0 0-0 0, Jefferson 1-1 0-0 2, Homan 0-1 4-4 4. Totals 22-45 28-34 73.

Halftime-Kansas State 39, Iowa State 32. 3-Point goals-Kansas State 2-6 (Reid 1-5, DeJesus 1-1), Iowa State 1-7 (Sullivan 1-6, Power 0-1). Fouled out-DeJesus, Siebrandt, Williams, Pearson. Rebounds-Kansas State 26 (Pasco 8), Iowa State 32 (Pearson 11). Assists-Kansas State 11 (Reid 5), Iowa State 13 (Morgan 7). Total fouls-Kansas State 26, Iowa State 17. Technical foul-Iowa State bench. A-13,292.