Cats become first Hilton visitor to win in 30 tries
Kansas State blitzed No. 3 Iowa State 80-61 in Ames Saturday afternoon, ending a 29-game home winning streak for the Cyclones in Hilton Coliseum.
In their third consecutive stellar performance after a six-game losing streak, the Wildcats (10-11, 4-6 Big 12) outplayed Iowa State (17-4, 7-3) in nearly all phases and wrapped a 16-2 run around halftime to seize control of the game.
Those of us who promised to eat crow (or, in one unfortunate case, vulture) if this squad ever put together a meaningful run of success could use help with some black bird recipes.
The start of the contest was reminiscent of most visits to Ames, as K-State yielded three 3-point buckets and two layups to fall behind 13-4. Coach Tang called timeout less than 4 minutes into the game, and he found the magic message. The Cats ran off a 13-3 run to take their first lead, 17-16, with 12:28 remaining in the first half.
The Wildcats pushed the advantage to 28-23 with just under 7 minutes to play, but foul trouble became an issue. Iowa state had a 7-0 run, with all seven tallies coming from the free throw line. Worse, Dug McDaniel, who the ‘Clones simply could not contain, picked up his third foul and had to sit with 5:15 remaining.
A three-pointer by Iowa State’s Tamin Lipsey put the Cyclones up 33-28, and at that point Cat fans were hoping just to minimize the damage over the last three minutes to stay within striking distance.
Forget that.
Max Jones made a jumper, and C.J. Jones made a difficult layup while being pushed away from the basket. Mobi Ikegwuruka grabbed an offensive rebound, got fouled, and made both charity tosses. With 36 seconds remaining before the break, Max Jones connected on a three-point bucket, and K-State held a 37-35 lead at intermission.
The Wildcats were the first team to lead Iowa State at halftime in Hilton this season. They became the first to lead in the second half, and eventually, the first to win in Ames since Kansas beat the Cyclones there to end the 2022-2023 regular season.
The Wildcats scored the first seven points after the break to forge a 44-35 advantage. At the 13:45 mark, Brendan Hausen drilled a 3-point basket to make the score 58-39 Cats. Just like that, the lavender-clad visitors had a 19-point lead in one of the toughest arenas in the country.
Foul trouble continued to mount, and behind a persistent crowd and hot offensive play, Iowa State whittled the lead to 6, 58-52, midway through the half. But Hausen caught a kickout pass from David N’Guessan above his shoulder and shot without ever bringing his hands down. The shot swished through to put the cats up by 9.
Coleman Hawkins added two free throws, and Dug McDaniel connected on a 3-pointer. Meanwhile, Iowa State’s offense went quiet for nearly three minutes. The score with 6:20 to go was 68-54. The Cyclones staged a mini 4-0 run to get back within 10, at 68-58, with five minutes to play.
They would get no closer. K-State held Iowa State to only 3 points in the last five minutes, while putting up 12 of their own to pull away for the 19-point win.
All five K-State starters reached double-digit scoring.
Dug McDaniel was the catalyst, leading K-State in scoring (20) and assists (5). Hawkins had 17 points on 5-10 shooting, including 2-3 from 3-point range. Hausen, off his 5-5 outside performance on Wednesday, only made 2 of 5 from deep in Ames, but he was 9-9 at the free throw line and finished with 15.
Max Jones scored 12, and N’Guessan had 10 points and a team-high 8 rebounds and 3 blocks.
The Wildcats shot 26-58 (45%) from the floor, including 10- 20 marksmanship from beyond the arc.
Defense was again key, as the Cats forced a normally sure-handed Iowa State team into 18 turnovers, while holding the Cyclones to 19-52 shooting (37%).
Rebounding was also enormous. K-State won the battle of the glass 39-29, and outscored Iowa State 21-6 in the second chance points category.
The Cats also knocked down 18 of 21 free throw attempts, an enormous boon for a team that has shot below 70% as a team for most of the season.
Tamin Lipsey paced Iowa State with 20 points.
A couple of streaks ended today. As previously mentioned, Iowa State had won 29 straight at home, including a perfect 18-0 mark last season. K-State, meanwhile, had lost 14 consecutive road contests, dating back to an 81-67 win over West Virginia on January 9 of last year.
NEXT GAME
The infuriating consequences of conference realignment foolery strike Tuesday, as the Cats tip at 9:00 p.m. against Arizona State. It’s an ESPN+ game. Use part of your lunch hour for a nap. This team has suddenly proven itself worth staying up to watch.