More than any other game this season, the Cyclones needed a win Tuesday night in Lawrence.

Struggling of late on the road and feeling the No. 21 Kansas Jayhawks breathing down their necks in the Big 12 standings, an Iowa State victory would get a pair of monkeys off their backs.

And this says nothing of the possibility of hosting an NCAA regional, a scenario put in jeopardy with a loss to KU.

But once again, the Cyclones were up to the task, relying on patience down the stretch and the inspired play of standout forward Megan Taylor to hand the Jayhawks their first home loss of the season.

“It’s hard to even begin to say how we feel right now,” coach Bill Fennelly said after the game. “Only teams with big hearts and belief in each other win this kind of game.”

After building leads of as much as 12 points, the Cyclones struggled down the stretch but held on for a 55-52 win.

“I thought if we could get to 60, we’d be OK,” Fennelly said. “We had 31 at the half, and I thought we were OK, but we limped in with 55.”

Taylor led the ISU charge in both halves, finishing the contest with 25 points and nine boards and connecting on four of eight three-point attempts.

“Other teams tend to concentrate more on Stacy [Frese], so I find myself open out there a lot,” Taylor said. “I feel a lot more confident now.”

Building upon a 10-point halftime lead, the Cyclones answered a number of quick second half Jayhawk scores with a trio of Frese three-point plays, including two from beyond the arc.

“Stacy and Megan were great from beginning to end,” Fennelly said. “They make me a lot better coach.”

Kansas consistently failed to chip away at the Cyclone lead early in the final 20 minutes, as ISU was able to answer each KU score.

Even when the Cyclones went cold around the 15-minute mark, turnovers and missed shots seemed to keep the ISU lead safe.

“We knew they’d come back, though,” Fennelly said, “playing here and with this crowd behind them.”

With the Cyclones up 42-30, the Jayhawks took off on an 18-6 run, led by Lynn Pride and Casey Pruitt, to knot the score at 48-48 with 3:31 remaining.

A clutch trey by Taylor renewed the Cyclone lead just seconds later, and an Angie Welle layup extended the margin to 53-48, but the Jayhawks weren’t finished.

KU clawed back to within one on a pair of Nakia Sanford free throws with five seconds remaining, but Taylor put the game away with two of her own charity stripe offerings.

“At the end,” Fennelly said, “our kids handled the pressure very well and did the things they needed to to win.”

Frese finished the contest with 14 points.

Monica Huelman added six of her own, as well as nine rebounds and sterling defensive play throughout the game.

“Even though Mo only had six points,” Fennelly said, “she played an excellent game, both in rebounding the ball and back on defense.”

The teams traded baskets most of the first half before ISU pulled away late.

Kansas took a 12-9 lead on a Lynn Pride trey, but Taylor seemed to answer with a three-pointer of her own. When it was waved off because of an illegal screen, the Jayhawks extended their lead to 14-9, but that’s when Taylor really heated up.

The sophomore scored nine quick points, including a pair of threes, as the Cyclones went on a 14-2 run to claim the lead.

By the time intermission had rolled around, ISU had extended its advantage to 31-21.

“It was a huge win for us, and everybody feels great right now,” Frese said after the final buzzer. “We realized we hadn’t won any close games down the stretch, so that was something we needed to do.”

The victory marked a number of milestones for the Cyclones. In addition to providing the Jayhawks their first home loss of the year, it was Fennelly’s first win at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, and it spoiled Kansas coach Marian Washington’s shot at victory number 500.

“She’s beaten Iowa State enough,” Fennelly joked after the game. “I think half of those 500 have come against the Cyclones.”

The team seems to have regained its confidence heading into the season’s final week and the upcoming Big 12 tournament.

“Every team goes through a stage like we did,” Fennelly said. “We didn’t panic when we lost at Nebraska and K-State. We just got together and went over some things, and tonight we just relaxed and did the things you have to do to win on the road.

“We’re so excited, and I’m so proud to be at Iowa State.”