Iowa State (13-6, 5-3 Big 12) survived a late push from Kansas State (15-5, 4-4 Big 12) to win 70-65 Tuesday night at Hilton Coliseum. 

Read the game story from the win, and here are three additional takeaways from the game. 

The Ice Man Cometh

Iowa State guard Matt Thomas lit up Kansas State in the first half, dropping six 3-pointers en route to 20 points — nearly singlehandedly pushing the Cyclones to a 17-point halftime lead.

“After you see it go through the net a few times, obviously the rim starts getting a little bit bigger,” Thomas said. “It was a good night. Got sloppy at the end, but we found a way.”

Thomas hit one more bucket from behind the arc in the second half to give him a career-high seven 3-pointers in the game, and hit a baseline jumper to give him a career-high 25 points on the night.

Tuesday also marked the fourth time in his career that Thomas had a 20-point game.

“Matt’s a heck of a shooter. I think he’s the best in the country,” Iowa State guard Naz Mitrou-Long said. “When he’s shooting like that, guys have to play him and it opens up things for myself, Deonte, Monté. It could be anybody on any given night. Tonight it was him. Without him and his performance tonight, we don’t win this game.

“It’s a credit to his work and everything that he’s been putting in this year.”

Holden returns to the starting lineup

Merrill Holden made his return to the starting lineup Tuesday night, marking his first start in conference play after staring out the season as the starting center.

Holden made his mark against Oklahoma on Saturday when he grabbed seven rebounds and two blocks — enough to push him back into the starting lineup.

While Holden’s statline against the Wildcats isn’t eye-popping — he had just five points, four rebounds and two blocks — Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said he was happy with how he performed.

“I thought he was good today,” Prohm said. “He has to keep carrying on and building with it.”

Holden had a similar feeling, saying he knew his main focus was shutting down Kansas State big man D.J. Johnson, who had 10 points and six rebounds.

“I feel like I did good,” Holden said. “I didn’t come up with as many rebounds as I wanted to, but credit to the Kansas [State] big guy. He’s a strong dude. I have to focus on boxing him out, and let my teammates come in and get rebounds.”

Prohm said he plans to look at the lineup on a game-by-game basis, but that they will go with the hot hand. For now, that looks like it will be Holden.

His strong play right now, though, he credits to his recent time on the bench.

“Man, I feel like I needed that when I look back at it right now,” Holden said. “It made me a stronger person and a stronger basketball player.”

Monté Morris nearing assist record

Iowa State point guard Monté Morris had four assists Tuesday night, and is now just three shy of Iowa State’s all-time assist record. Morris entered the game just seven assists back. The record is held by former Iowa State star and current New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek, who had 665 career assists.

Morris said he knew how far away he was from the record heading into Tuesday’s game, and that he was counting down each time he had another assist. The record, he said, is one of the biggest goals he wants to accomplish at Iowa State.

“Every time I sleep I just dream about Jeff Hornacek, because I need that record man,” Morris said. “I’m just confident in my teammates, and I’m just ready to break the record. Saturday should be that day.”

Morris will likely break the assist record when Iowa State takes on Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday afternoon, which is a part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.