AMES, Iowa (AP) — Jameel McKay looked rejuvenated. Hallice Cooke was a factor for the first time in months.

Iowa State finally got the bench production it’s been looking for heading into March.

Matt Thomas scored 20 points and Georges Niang added 17 and 17th-ranked Iowa State rolled past Kansas State 80-61 on Saturday night, clinching its fifth straight 20-win season.

McKay added 14 points with 17 rebounds off the bench for the notoriously-thin Cyclones (20-9, 9-7 Big 12), who got 24 points from their reserves and outscored the Wildcats by 18 in the second half.

“This is the time of year you have to have your team figured out,” Iowa State coach Steve Prohm said. “The second half, you saw us at a really good clip offensively and defensively.”

Iowa State strung together 13-0 runs in each half, which proved to be the difference. The Wildcats pulled as close as 65-59 before backup Hallice Cooke’s 3 with just under four minutes left swung momentum back in favor of the Cyclones.

D.J. Johnson had 22 with nine boards for Kansas State (15-14, 4-12), which shot just 4 of 18 from 3-point range.

“It’s all the little details that make the difference in the game,” Wildcats coach Bruce Weber said, pointing to Monte Morris’s buzzer-beating 3 to end the first half when K-State had a foul to give. “It’s a shame because our guys work so hard. They give themselves a chance. But you’ve got to be smart.”

Iowa State’s dream of a share of the Big 12 title ended last weekend when Kansas secured its 12th league win.

But the Cyclones are still hoping they have a big run left in them.

Beating K-State was a necessary start.

Two consecutive 3s from Thomas in the left corner put Iowa State ahead 45-39 early in the second half. Cooke, who has mostly struggled in his first season with the Cyclones after transferring from Oregon State, then drilled one from that exact spot to make it 48-39.

Deonte Burton’s first basket, an emphatic one-handed dunk, pushed Iowa State’s lead to 60-45. K-State answered with seven straight and Niang was forced to the bench with his fourth foul with 7:27 left. But McKay followed Cooke’s huge 3 with a dunk as the Cyclones pulled away.

Cooke finished with 10 points after being held scoreless for four straight games.

“He was a huge spark off the bench,” Thomas said. “I think he can be that for us every night.”

TIP-INS

Iowa State: Niang started for the 120th time Saturday. … All five Cyclones starters entered play averaging at least 10 points and four boards a game. … Thomas completed a rare four-point play to give Iowa State its first lead, 17-14. He later moved into seventh place in school history on made 3s.

Kansas State: The Wildcats played their 13th ranked team this season, surpassing the school record of 12 set in 2010-11 and 2014-15. … K-State forced 13 turnovers against one of the best teams in the Big 12 at securing the ball.

COURTSIDE

McKay was suspended for two games for violating team rules, and he was bounced from the starting lineup upon his return. McKay finally returned to his earlier form against the Wildcats, and the Cyclones hope it’ll be a turning point. McKay’s double-double was his sixth of the year but just his first since January 6.

QUOTABLE

“My focus was as good as it’s been all year. I just came out and wanted to play with energy,” McKay said. “I need people to know that I’m going to give 100 percent effort every time I’m on the court.”

UP NEXT

The Cyclones close out their home schedule Monday night against Oklahoma State.

Kansas State hosts TCU on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

AMES, Iowa – Kansas State used double-double performances from Breanna Lewis and Kaylee Page to end a seven-game losing streak at Hilton Coliseum to Iowa State in a big way, 68-53. This was the largest margin of victory for K-State at Iowa State since the 1992-93 season.

K-State outscored Iowa State 28-6 spanning the final two minutes of the first quarter and the entirety of the second quarter.

Lewis registered 25 points on 11-of-13 shooting, a career-high 16 rebounds and six blocks. Page tallied 13 points, a career-high 10 assists and six rebounds.

K-State returns home to conclude its regular season home schedule against No. 4/4 Baylor on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Saturday’s game will be “Senior Day,” as the Wildcats will honor its seniors in a postgame ceremony.

— KSU Athletics —

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — With one of the top seeds at next month’s Big 12 conference tournament still up for grabs, Isaiah Taylor knew No. 25 Texas couldn’t afford to lose on the road this late in the season to an inexperienced Kansas State.

So when push came to shove late, Taylor provided the type of clutch effort a team needs to grind out road wins in league play.

The junior guard scored 19 points, including a 3-pointer to all but ice the game with less than a minute to play, and Texas held on to beat Kansas State 71-70 on Monday night.

“I had the ball at the top of the key. Shaquille (Cleare) set the screen, but I really had no intention of using the screen,” Taylor said. “I just told Shaq to move out of the way.”

He did, and Taylor found nothing but net.

Javan Felix had 11 of his 13 points in the first half and Eric Davis, Jr. finished with 10 points for Texas (18-10, 9-6 Big 12). Connor Lammert had eight points and seven rebounds.

“I don’t care if we win by one or by 100. We came up here to win,” Texas coach Shaka Smart said. “It certainly wasn’t our best game, but our guys battled.”

Kansas State (15-13, 4-11) was forced to play catch-up in the second half after falling behind by as many as eight points. When the Wildcats got as close as 66-65 with 1:03 to play, Taylor stepped back and hit a 3-pointer with a defender in his face.

Dean Wade later had a chance to be the hero for Kansas State, but his would-be game winner clunked off the front of the rim to end the game.

Justin Edwards had 20 points and eight rebounds for Kansas State, while D.J. Johnson added 16 points and Wesley Iwundu had 12.

The Wildcats have lost six conference games by 10 points or less.

“Maybe one of these times,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said, “something will go our way and we’ll find a way to win.”

The thrilling finish didn’t entirely tell the story.

Texas stormed out to an early lead before Felix book-ended the period with seven of his 11 first-half points in a 2-minute span to give the Longhorns a 38-35 halftime lead.

Kansas State was fortunate to only trail by three.

At one point, the Wildcats were behind 22-18, with only Edwards and Johnson having made field goals. It wasn’t until the 7:29 mark that assistance came with Carlbe Ervin hit two free throws.

The teams combined for 24 fouls, resulting in a sloppy 20 minutes that lacked any sort of rhythm. Eleven were called against the Wildcats, including one on Wade with 3:35 to play, when the freshman was actually elbowed in the face. The purple-clad fans’ groans grew so loud during the ensuing free throws that the officials went over to the monitor to take another look.

Nothing else was called.

Texas clung to its lead throughout the second half, fending off each Kansas State run, including a jumper from Taylor with 3:34 left to stretch a one-point lead back to three. The guard then did it again with 43 seconds remaining, stepping back and hitting the big 3-pointer with a defender in his face.

“We are still becoming who we really are,” Smart said. “It was a good step to go on the road in this league and win — I do not care who you are playing.”

TIP-INS

Texas: Center Prince Ibeh played just 9 minutes, fouling out with 4 minutes to play in the game. He finished with three points and one field goal. . The Longhorns have won four straight against Kansas State.

Kansas State: Since scoring 17 points against then-No. 1 Oklahoma on Feb. 6, Wade has shot just 11 of 32 from the field.

QUOTABLE

“It’s pretty easy to notice, he’s hit a wall,” Weber said of Wade. “But he’ll be fine. He’s a good, young man who cares a lot — probably too much.”

UP NEXT

Texas: hosts No. 3 Oklahoma on Saturday.

Kansas State: visits No. 17 Iowa State on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State used a balanced offensive effort and strong defense in the first three quarters to down Texas Tech on Sunday, 65-53, in Bramlage Coliseum.

A 23-8 run spanning the first and second quarters by Kansas State (17-9, 7-8 Big 12) provided the necessary cushion to send the Wildcats to their 13th home win of the season.

K-State had 11 of its 12 players that saw the floor register at least one point, led by junior center and All-American candidate Breanna Lewis with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals. Senior guard Megan Deines added 11 points and four assists to her final line.

K-State dashed out to a 12-5 lead with 4:50 remaining in the first quarter, as Kindred Wesemann knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the first minute and a half to spark the Wildcats.

After taking a 6-5 lead, K-State used a 14-5 run to end the first quarter to hold a 20-10 lead at the end of the first frame. Lewis scored all eight of her first quarter points during the run, while Megan Deines added four.

The Wildcats used a 9-0 run in the second quarter to construct a 29-13 lead with 5:35 to play. Lewis tallied four points in the run, while Kaylee Page knocked down a 3-pointer in transition.

The Lady Raiders (11-15, 2-13 Big 12) narrowed the game to nine, 29-20, as Zuri Sanders scored four points during a 6-0 run.

K-State ended the half on a 7-2 run, as Wesemann drained her third 3-pointer of the day and Shaelyn Martin and Deines each converted a layup to push the halftime lead to 36-22.

A 17-6 run by K-State in the third quarter increased the Wildcats’ lead to 25, 55-30, with a minute remaining. Jessica Sheble powered in a pair of layups, while Deines and Kelly Thomson each made three-pointers during the run. Sheble finished with six points to lead K-State’s bench scoring.

K-State went scoreless for almost four minutes to begin the fourth quarter, but Texas Tech was only able to trim the deficit to 18, 55-37, with 6:23 to play.

The Lady Raiders would outscore the Wildcats, 20-10, in the final stanza. Texas Tech tallied 16 points in the final 3:52 of the contest to cut K-State’s margin of victory to 12, 65-53.

K-State will travel to Iowa State on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

— KSU Athletics —

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Brady Sanders scored 12 points and No. 8 Texas overcame a 14-point second-half deficit to defeat Kansas State 58-51 on Wednesday night.

Sanders made two free throws and a putback on consecutive possessions to give Texas a 47-43 lead with four minutes remaining. Kansas State never caught up.

Ariel Atkins and Imani Boyette scored 10 apiece for Texas (23-2, 12-2 Big 12).

Breanna Lewis led Kansas State (16-9, 6-8) with 20 points. Megan Deines added 10.

Kansas State led 27-18 at halftime, limiting Texas to its lowest point production in a half this season. The Longhorns scored 20 during the first half at Iowa State on Feb. 6, but they produced 45 in the second half and won 65-49.

Texas had twice as many turnovers — 12 — as baskets in the first half against Kansas State.

Boyette, Empress Davenport and Celina Rodrigo, all experienced seniors, committed three turnovers each in the half.

Lewis scored 18 in the half, converting 8 of 11 shots.

Kansas State stretched the lead to 14 early in the third quarter with a 3-point basket by Kindred Wesemann. Then Texas started its comeback, finishing the period with a 21-7 push to tie the game. Atkins scored eight points for Texas during that run.

TIP-INS

Kansas State: Guard Kindred Wesemann scored only six points for Kansas State, seven fewer than her average. She missed 10 of 12 shots.

Texas: Senior center Imani Boyette blocked just one shot — she averages 3.4 — but that was good enough for her to take over sixth place among active players in the NCAA career rankings. . Texas has 12 Big 12 victories for first time since 2004-05. . The Longhorns have won five of their last six games against Kansas State.

RECOGNIZING A MILESTONE

This season Texas became the fifth women’s basketball program to reach 1,000 victories. To recognize that achievement the Longhorns are honoring the three predecessors to current coach Karen Aston, at separate games: Rod Page, Hall of Famer Jody Conradt and Gail Goestenkors. First up, on Wednesday, was Goestenkors, who resigned in 2012 after five seasons and 102 victories. Goestenkors, who led Duke to four NCAA Final Four appearances before coaching at Texas, has worked as an assistant coach in the WNBA after leaving Texas and is now an analyst with the SEC Network. She has not ruled out returning to college. “Right now I have no plans,” Goestenkors said. “I see life as an adventure. I’m open to whatever might come my way.”

UP NEXT

Kansas State hosts Texas Tech on Sunday.

Texas hosts West Virginia on Sunday.

— Associated Press —

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Justin Edwards scored 17 points as Kansas State beat TCU 63-49 Tuesday night to snap a 13-game losing streak in Big 12 road games.

Kansas State (15-11, 4-9) last won a conference road game on Jan. 10, 2015 at Oklahoma.

The Wildcats improved their road record this season to 2-7. Their other win came at Georgia on Dec. 4.

Barry Brown added 16 points and Dean Wade 14 for the Wildcats.

Malique Trent led the Horned Frogs (11-15, 2-11) with 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

The 14-point win was Kansas State’s largest since it beat Oklahoma State 89-73 on Jan. 23.

The Wildcats won despite shooting only 38.8 percent, holding the Frogs to 32.7 percent. TCU, last in conference scoring at 60.5 points going into the game, failed to break 50 for the second straight game. The Frogs lost 73-42 at West Virginia on Saturday.

Brown was 4 for 6 from 3-point range. He hit all four of his field-goal attempts in the first nine minutes, including three 3s, and had 11 first-half points.

The Wildcats built a 26-11 lead nine minutes in, outshooting the Frogs 61.5 percent to 27.3. To that point, TCU had more field goals made from behind the arc (2 for 6) than inside it (1 for 6).

There were 17 total field goals hit during the first half compared to 19 turnovers as the Wildcats took a 35-24 lead.

The Frogs cut a 13-point deficit to nine points with 13:59 left in the second half but got no closer. Kansas State’s 17-point lead midway through the second half was its largest of the game.

—

TIP-INS

Kansas State: The Wildcats got only seven bench points. . Wesley Iwundu went into the game leading K-State averaging 12.4 points but scored only five points, on 1-for-10 shooting.

TCU: Chris Washburn, the Frogs’ starting center, committed two fouls in the first 3:05 and didn’t play the rest of the half. He finished with no points, three blocks and two rebounds in 16 minutes.

UP NEXT

Kansas State: Hosts Kansas on Saturday.

TCU: Hosts Oklahoma on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma State was determined not to let another close game slip away.

After losing three straight and nine of its previous 11, with five of those defeats decided by five points or fewer, the Cowboys found a way to win this time.

Tavarius Shine came off the bench to score 11 points, five in overtime, to lead Oklahoma State to a 58-55 victory over Kansas State on Saturday.

Leyton Hammonds led the Cowboys (12-13, 3-9 Big 12) with 13 points, while adding six rebounds, while Jeff Newberry contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season.

“I’m just really proud of our team’s effort, really proud of the fight, the grit we played with,” said OSU coach Travis Ford. “We played with a winning attitude.”

Ford wasn’t sure the team’s experience in close games was the difference, but he was happy to see his team win one for a change.

“It helps, there’s no doubt you learn out of them, but it doesn’t guarantee you anything,” Ford said. “We’ve been through a lot of close games this year, and to be able to pull one out, obviously, our guys are very excited. I’m just really proud of them for sticking together and staying positive.”

Justin Edwards scored 14 points and posted 13 rebounds to lead Kansas State (14-11, 3-9), which fell to 0-3 in overtime games this year.

“I don’t know where our emotion is right now, it’s disappointing,” said K-State coach Bruce Weber. “I tried to get them riled up, I was trying to get some fire in them. We’ve had a lot of bad things happen, but so have they. We didn’t play well enough to win.”

Oklahoma State nearly won it at the end of regulation, as it appeared that Newberry hit a 3-pointer from half court just as the buzzer sounded. The officials called it good, but a video review showed that Newberry released the ball a split second after the clock expired, overturning the verdict.

“What made a big difference, I didn’t think it counted, and even Newberry came over to the huddle and said, `Coach, it didn’t count,” Ford said. “I think it got our guys back to, `Okay, let’s move on.’ Because if you think it did, and all of a sudden they say no, it can be tough, but I was already talking to our team as if it did not count. I think that helped us a little bit as far as the mental aspect.”

In overtime, Shine connected on a 3 from the right corner with 3:06 left, then sank two free throws with 1:10 to go, giving the Cowboys a 57-52 advantage.

After missing three consecutive free throws, K-State pulled to within 57-55 on Edwards’ layup with 22.2 seconds remaining, but a free throw from Newberry gave OSU a three-point lead with 21.6 to go.

The Wildcats had three attempts from 3-point range in the final 10 seconds, two by Edwards and one at the buzzer by Stephen Hurt, but none would fall.

“It was very frustrating,” Edwards said of the loss. “I feel like we came out slow, and if we came out with a little more aggression and effort it could have been a different scenario, but I guess it is what it is.”

TIP INS

Kansas State: Junior guard Wesley Iwundu entered the game leading the Wildcats in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game, but wound up with just five. Iwundu shot 1-for-7 from the floor, and missed a 1-and-1 free throw in overtime, but did contribute seven assists and two steals.

Oklahoma State: After entering the day leading the Big 12 in free throw shooting percentage (75.3), the Cowboys shot just 10 of 17 (58.8 percent) from the line. Tyree Griffin connected on just one of his first five before ending up 4-for-8 and Joe Burton missed two key free throws with 3:44 remaining in regulation.

MASH UNIT

Oklahoma State freshman point guard Jawun Evans missed his third straight game with a right shoulder injury. Evans, who is averaging 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game, is out indefinitely. . The Cowboys were also without senior Phil Forte for the 22nd consecutive contest with an elbow injury. Forte, who was injured in the third game of the season, will likely not be back this year. . K-State played its fourth game without freshman Kamau Stokes, who is out indefinitely with a right knee injury. Stokes, who had started 20 of the previous 21 games, is averaging 9.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game.

UP NEXT

Kansas State: on the road at TCU on Tuesday.

Oklahoma State: on the road at No. 6 Kansas on Monday.

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Al Freeman scored 21 points, Taurean Prince had 18 and No. 21 Baylor beat cold-shooting Kansas State 82-72 on Wednesday night to remain a game back of the leaders in the Big 12 race.

Playing without leading rebounder Rico Gathers due to illness, the Bears (18-6, 7-4) opened on an 8-2 run, led by as many as 14 in the first half and never trailed the rest of the way.

They had their befuddling zone defense to thank for much of it.

The Wildcats (14-10, 3-8) were 2 of 14 from beyond the arc, getting their only 3-pointers from Justin Edwards in the final minute. His first made it 72-65 with 58.3 seconds left, and his second after two free throws by Baylor’s Ishmail Wainwright made it 74-68 with 47.4 seconds to go.

They weren’t enough to bail out the Wildcats, though.

Lester Medford added 13 points and nine assists for Baylor, which edged Kansas State in overtime in Waco last month and has won five of the last six in the series.

All of the Wildcats’ losses this season have come against ranked teams.

Edwards finished with 19 points, while D.J. Johnson had a career-high 19 points to go with eight rebounds for the Wildcats. But the two of them didn’t get a whole lot of help.

Leading scorer Wesley Iwundu, who had 22 points in a win over then-No. 1 Oklahoma on Saturday, was held to 11. Freshman standout Dean Wade managed five while dealing with foul trouble most of the night, and big man Stephen Hurt was held to four points and three rebounds.

The Bears announced shortly before the tipoff that Gathers, their career rebounding leader, would not be available due to an illness. That not only snapped his school-record streak of 132 consecutive games played, it deprived Baylor of its biggest body in the low post.

Kansas State was never able to take advantage of the space in the paint, instead opening the game in sloppy fashion. During one first-half stretch, Iwundu dribbled the ball off his knee and Edwards and Barry Brown threw passes to nobody — three of Kansas State’s 12 first-half turnovers.

The Wildcats made a brief run midway to trim their deficit to 27-24, but Prince and Freeman knocked down back-to-back 3s, and Prince added six more points down the stretch for a 43-32 halftime lead.

Prince remained hot early in the second half, hitting another 3-pointer and doing a good job of getting to the foul line. His two free throws made it 53-42 with 15:07 left.

Kansas State made a final run in the closing minutes, but the Bears were stoic from the free-throw line. They finished the game 29 of 30, never giving the Wildcats a chance to catch up.

TIP-INS

Baylor: King McClure missed the Bears’ only foul shot. … Baylor was coming off losses to Texas and West Virginia. … Without Gathers, the Bears were outrebounded 35-25.

Kansas State: Wade and Brown were involved in a minor car accident Tuesday. Nobody was injured and both played as usual. … Kansas State has not gone without a 3-pointer since March 22, 2008, in the NCAA Tournament against Wisconsin.

UP NEXT

Baylor: plays Texas Tech on Saturday.

Kansas State: visits Oklahoma State on Saturday.

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kindred Wesemann made 6 of 8 from 3-point range, 8 of 10 free throws and finished with 26 points and five assists to help the Kansas State women beat No. 21 Oklahoma 87-71 Tuesday night.

Breanna Lewis had 15 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots, while Bri Craig scored a season-high 12 for Kansas State.

Gabbi Ortiz hit a 3-pointer to give Oklahoma (16-7, 7-5 Big 12) an 18-9 lead with 2:56 left in the first quarter.

Wesemann hit back-to-back 3s — and added two more — to start a 27-7 run that was capped by four-straight points from Kayla Goth with 3:44 left in the half that gave Kansas State (15-8, 5-7) a 38-27 lead.

Derica Wyatt’s layup with 2:14 left in the third pulled the Sooners within three, 56-53, but Wesemann answered with a 3-pointer and Oklahoma went eight minutes, 55 seconds without a field goal while Kansas State pushed its lead to 23 with 3:31 to play.

Gioya Carter led Oklahoma with 19 points.

— Associated Press —