No. 5 Jayhawks Fall at Iowa State, 72-64
Jan. 28, 2012
AMES, Iowa – Iowa State used a suffocating defense and clutch shooting down the stretch to upend No. 5 Kansas, 72-64, Saturday afternoon at a sold out Hilton Coliseum.
KU fell to 17-4 overall and 7-1 in Big 12 play, while Iowa State improved to 15-6 and 5-3 in conference action. The loss snaps KU’s 10-game winning streak and spoils a 13-game stretch without a Jayhawk loss to the Cyclones dating back to 2004-05.
All five of KU’s starters scored in double-figures with senior guard Tyshawn Taylor leading the way with 16 points and 10 assists. It marked Taylor’s first double-double of the season. Junior forward Thomas Robinson added 13 points and seven boards.
The turning point in the game came when Iowa State’s Tyrus McGee scored on a runner in the lane and completed a three-point play with 6:07 remaining to give ISU a 56-53 advantage. The series whipped the home crowd into a frenzy and gave the Cyclones a lead it would not relinquish the rest of the afternoon.
ISU held a 36-23 edge on the glass, including 7-1 over the final eight minutes of the game.
KU tried to mount a rally in the closing minutes with field goals by Robinson and Taylor on back-to-back possessions, which cut the lead to three. However, Chris Babb’s steal and three-pointer with 55 seconds remaining proved to be the final dagger.
KU had trouble taking advantage of Cyclone mistakes early. Despite 13 ISU turnovers in the first half, KU converted those possessions into just 11 points.
With just its second sellout of the season, Iowa State came out on fire and jumped out to a 19-11 lead before the second media timeout of the game.
Kansas used a 10-0 in the later stages of the first half to take its first lead of the contest. Taylor highlighted the surge, as the senior guard had a mid-range jumper and a pair of fast break layups – the second gave KU the lead at 31-29 with 3:32 remaining in the first half.
However, the Cyclones scored the next five points to close the half up 37-34.
The Jayhawks opened the second half on an 11-2 run with all five Jayhawks on the floor scoring during the first four minutes of the period. Elijah Johnson’s three-point basket from the far corner capped the rally at 45-39.
However, Iowa State answered with a 12-4 run over the next five minutes to regain the lead and control of the game.
Iowa State’s Royce White led all scorers with 18 points in the game, including 14 in the second half.
Kansas will look to bounce back from its first conference loss of the season against Oklahoma on Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.
