It started out like a walk in the park for Iowa State. 

However, as soon as Cyclones fans relaxed, the game took a turn — fast.

After holding a 20 point lead, Iowa State (13-6, 5-3 Big 12) narrowly beat  Kansas State (15-5, 4-4 Big 12) 70-65 at Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday night.

Iowa State came out firing in the first half, led by senior Matt Thomas’ 20 points — which came from a career-high six 3-pointers. By halftime, the Cyclones had amassed a 17-point lead. 

Iowa State’s high-powered offense it had in the first half, though, didn’t transition to the second. The Cyclones opened the second half shooting just 4-of-15 in the first 12 minutes, letting the Wildcats get right back within eight points.

Kansas State didn’t stop there. It went on a 20-3 run to give them a 1 point lead with less than five minutes to go in the game. In the final minute, Kansas State kept within four points, but couldn’t close the gap, eventually falling to Iowa State by five.