Georges Niang had one of his least effective performances at Oklahoma on Feb. 9. The junior forward tallied only seven points and committed four turnovers as the Cyclones lost by 11 points in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.

Niang led his team in scoring at Kansas State with 21 points, but also made a crucial error, which translated into a turnover and the winning bucket for the Wildcats. Niang was visibly distraught after the game, calling the loss his fault. Another ISU leader quickly came to his defense.

“Georges led us,” said fellow junior Naz Long. “He was getting buckets. It sucks that when one bad thing happens, that stands out. Unfortunately, that was the possession that lost us the game, but without Georges, we’re not in any position we’re in.”

The comradery of the ISU team will play an important role in the abbreviated window of time the Cyclones have to prepare for the Sooners, who are still playing for a chance at the Big 12 regular season title.

For the full preview of Iowa State’s final home game of the season, click here.