The Lowdown

The Cyclones took the court Jan. 28 looking for their fourth straight win in conference play. When the final buzzer sounded, however, things didn’t work out quite like the Cyclones planned.

Iowa State (14-5, 5-3 Big 12) took on Kansas (12-9, 3-5 Big 12) at Hilton Coliseum, falling just short to the Jayhawks 61-56.

It took a while for either team to get going, with neither team really taking control of the game. In fact, after eight minutes of play, a combined 20 points had been recorded.

Kansas was able to keep their offense on track in the first half, though, through the help of Chelsea Gardner. Gardner led the Jayhawks in scoring in the first half with 12, seeming unstoppable at times. It didn’t help that the Cyclones had 11 turnovers that half, either.

Iowa State was able to take a slight lead at the break, ending the half with a 24-22 lead.

The Cyclones came out firing in the second half, opening with a 10-4 run over the Jayhawks. That wasn’t enough to keep Kansas at bay, however, as the Jayhawks quickly rallied back. Both teams seemed to trade baskets for a while as Kansas refused to let Iowa State pull way ahead.

With just more than five minutes left in the game, Kansas guard Natalie Knight hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 49. Kansas retook the lead with 4:21 left in the game, and was in control in the final minutes.

With less than five seconds left, a Nikki Moody 3-pointer was just off the mark and fell into KU hands. Kansas was able to hit a pair of free throws in the final seconds, sealing the win 61-56.

Up Next

Iowa State will play again at Hilton Coliseum this weekend, when they host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Jan. 31. The first meeting of the two schools is scheduled to tip at 6 p.m., following the men’s game against TCU earlier that day.