AMES, Iowa – Kansas State (13-11, 5-7 Big 12) overcame a 15-point second half deficit en route to a 75-69 overtime victory over Iowa State (16-9, 3-9 Big 12) Saturday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum.
Nigel Pack scored 19 points to lead the Wildcats, who took their first lead of the game with four minutes left in regulation. Nine second-half turnovers plagued the Cyclones.
Izaiah Brockington paced ISU with 27 points, his ninth 20-point outing of the season. Aljaz Kunc added 19 points. George Conditt IV posted triple-7s, tallying seven points, seven boards and a career-high seven dimes.
Kunc gave the Cyclones an early positive jolt, scoring 11 quick points on 3-of-3 shooting from downtown as ISU led 13-0 right out of the gates.
Markquis Nowell hit a pair of treys in a 9-2 Wildcat run to cut the Cyclone lead to 27-23, but Kunc buried his fourth triple in the first half to move ISU back out in front 30-23 with 5:43 left in the opening period.
ISU scored the final five points to go into the break with a 40-28 lead, as Kunc had 16 first-half points.
The Cyclones increased their lead to 15 points early in the second half, but a cold spell by ISU allowed the Wildcats to cut the lead to six points (54-48) with 10:20 left in the game.
A big hoop on a baseline drive from Tyrese Hunter and a pair of free-throws by Brockington gave the Cyclones a little breathing room and a 10-point lead (58-48), but the Wildcats bounced back with 12-straight points to take their first lead of the game (60-58) with four minutes remaining.
Gabe Kalscheur scored on a drive and Kunc hit a trey off a loose-ball scramble, as ISU reclaimed the lead, but Pack promptly answered with a trey to knot the score at 63-63 with 2:36 left.
That was the end of the scoring in regulation, as both teams missed multiple opportunities.
With the game tied at 66-all in overtime, an ISU turnover led to a KSU run-out where Mike McGuirl scored on a lay-up to put KSU up 68-66 with 1:45 left in overtime. The Wildcats then followed with a 3-pointer from Nowell to ice the game.
