Another loss fell on the Cyclones’ lap Saturday when TCU traveled to Ames and won 76-72 in front of a Cyclone crowd at Hilton Coliseum.

It was Iowa State’s second loss to TCU — the first was a 79-76 loss in Fort Worth, Texas — and the second time things seemed to go wrong at the worst time for the Cyclones.

Compounded on a couple solid statistics going TCU’s way and Iowa State’s main point guard Rasir Bolton sustaining an injury that kept him out the whole second half and it was an uphill climb for the Cyclones.

Seniors provide spark

Despite the loss, Iowa State got the best game it could’ve out of one of its seniors and its second-leading scorer.

Guard Jalen Coleman-Lands was on fire all game for Iowa State, especially in the first 30 minutes where he made all seven of his first seven shots, including four 3-pointers.

In 37 minutes, Coleman-Lands put up 21 points on 8-11 shooting, four rebounds (led the team), three assists (led the team) and one block.

Coleman-Lands did this while Bolton battled an injury and ultimately had to sit out the whole second half, but Coleman-Lands said that wasn’t something he was worried about on the court.

“Of course with [Bolton] being out, he’s a great talent, but we’ve got a deep roster, so it’s next man up and I trust the guys coming up,” Coleman-Lands said. “That wasn’t really too big of a worry factor for me in particular.”

That wasn’t all for Iowa State seniors though. Redshirt senior forward Solomon Young had an efficient game and an all-around successful defensive performance.

Young went 3-4 from the field and 4-4 from the free-throw line for 10 points. Young also had four rebounds, two assists, three blocks and a steal.

The other two seniors being honored Saturday were Nate Schuster and Eric Steyer, who both saw playing time at the start of the game in their first career starts.

Jackson’s big game

It wasn’t just seniors that had good games. Sophomore guard Tre Jackson had his most successful game of the season.

On top of being his highest scoring game of the season at 14 points, Jackson also was active off ball and on defense.

Jackson went 5-10 shooting and 2-5 from 3-point range, but where he really excelled was on the defensive end.

Jackson pulled down four defensive rebounds, got his hands in passing lanes with three steals and added a block.

It was a rough start for Jackson, with a couple bad off-ball defensive possessions and missed shots, but he cleaned it up and became one of Iowa State’s most valuable pieces Saturday.

Crushed on all the lines

The 3-point line was not too favorable to most of Iowa State’s team Saturday. Coleman-Lands’ 4-6 day from distance only brought Iowa State to a 9-23 day.

TCU on the other hand started off the game as well as it could, hitting six of its first eight 3-point attempts and gaining a 14-point lead on the Cyclones.

That lead was cut down and later erased as the game wore on, but the Horned Frogs didn’t just win at the 3-point line. Free throws are where TCU sealed the game in the second half.

The first half saw TCU go 6-6 from the line — an average amount that was made above average by the ability of the Horned Frogs to cash in. Iowa State was a bit behind, going only 3-3 from the line, but still cashing in on its opportunities.

The second half was a different story. TCU attempted 12 free throws to Iowa State’s five, and the Horned Frogs capitalized, sinking all 12, including four straight in the waning seconds as the Cyclones tried to mount a comeback.

The main benefactor was RJ Nembhard, whose rough shooting day was helped by an 8-8 day from the line. He led TCU scorers with 19 points despite going 5-19 from the field.

“The free-throw line disparity was a big, big thing,” Head Coach Steve Prohm said. “It’s frustrating from my end because these guys continue to compete.”