AMES — Pure silence filled Hilton Coliseum and the sold out crowd quietly awaited a pair of free-throws from Jaren Holmes. With a two-point lead and just a second to play, Holmes knocked down both free throws to pick up an 80-76 win over No. 5 Kansas State Tuesday.

“Thought about me being in the driveway with my little brother,” Holmes said. “Knocked ‘em down when I was younger, and I knocked ‘em down tonight.”

This is not the first time a top-10 team has come to Hilton and lost to the No. 12 Cyclones, as No. 7 Texas suffered the same fate back on Jan. 17. Iowa State is now 11-0 at home, and you will not hear a single Cyclone complain about how the atmosphere has been this season.

Holmes and Gabe Kalscheur both had nights to remember against the Wildcats. Holmes led the team with 23 points on 8-11 shooting and 7 assists, and Kalscheur pitched in 19 of his own on 7-11 shooting.

“Jaren was dynamite on both ends,” head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “That’s really good. That’s hard to beat.”

Freshman Tamin Lipsey has had many strong performances in his first season as a Cyclone; however, Tuesday may have been his most complete. Lipsey compiled 10 points, but really showcased his ability by snatching 4 offensive rebounds, a trio of steals and a block.

“Winning play after winning play,” Otzelberger said. “Adversity sets in and he has no reaction. Like his court demeanor, the look in his eye doesn’t change.”

Holmes, Kalscheur, Osun Osunniyi and Lipsey made up 68 of 80 points for the Cyclones, and the core was clicking on all cylinders.

Entering Tuesday, Cam Carter was averaging just 6.4 points per game, which was certainly not the case for him against the Cyclones Tuesday.

In the first half alone, Carter scored 13 points on 5-5 shooting, displaying his scoring abilities both inside and outside. The Cyclones switched things up defensively in the second half, holding Carter to just a pair of points without a single shot attempt.

“You put [Carter] in space and he’s really good,” Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang said. “They paid a little bit more attention to him.”

The win allowed the No. 12 Cyclones to boost what was already one of the strongest portfolios in the Big 12. The win tied the Cyclones with Kansas State for the top spot in the conference with a 6-2 record, and marked a fifth win over ranked opponents for the team.

Up next, the Cyclones play at 1 p.m. Saturday, as the Cyclones will hit the road to take on Missouri.