Senior day can be tough, especially for a team with three seniors in their starting lineup.

But Iowa State (18-10, 9-8 Big 12) didn’t let the extra festivities distract them Feb. 28. The Cyclones ended up in a tight battle with No. 3 Baylor (26-3, 15-2 Big 12) that went right down to the final minutes. In the end, the Cyclones were able to come away with the upset, winning 76-71.

The first time these two teams met, Baylor didn’t miss a step. The Bears jumped ahead early on Jan. 13, and ended up winning the game by more than 30 points. And Baylor, who has consistently been ranked in the top-10 all season, has only lost one game since that day back in January.

Many expected a similar show Feb. 28, but a solid start by the Cyclones gave them an edge that they were able to ride through the rest of the contest.

Even though the Cyclones didn’t have a great offensive start — they went just 4-for-13 from the field in the opening minutes — they were able to capitalize on six early Baylor turnovers, keeping them in the game. Finally, the Cyclones found a groove and found themselves up six. Baylor, however, rallied back and finished the half on a 5-0 run, giving them a 31-30 lead at the break.

The two teams kept battling back and forth to start the half, with neither being able to separate from the other. It wasn’t until the Cyclones went on an 11-2 run with 10 minutes left in the game that a team was able to take a lead.

Baylor didn’t just lie down, though. They brought the game back within one with just more than one minute remaining. The Cyclones quickly were able to break the Baylor full court press, and a Nikki Moody layup with 38 seconds left sealed the deal, giving the Cyclones their third win against a top-five opponent this year.

Senior Fallon Ellis, who is also a newly appointed starter, had a career night against the Bears. Ellis finished with a career-high 18 points, 12 of which came from the 3-point line, and four rebounds. Senior Brynn Williamson and junior Nicole “Kidd” Blaskowsky finished with 17 and 14 points, respectively.

Up Next

The Cyclones have just one game left in the regular season before they head to the Big 12 Championships next weekend in Dallas. Iowa State will travel to Lawrence, Kan. at 7 p.m. March 2 to take on the Kansas Jayhawks.