Iowa State Blows Past Kansas in Statement Win, Shakes Up Big 12 Race
Hilton Coliseum was rocking Saturday afternoon, and for good reason. No.
5 Iowa State unleashed a 20-2 run late in the first half that flipped a tight game into a runaway, cruising past No. 9 Kansas with a dominant 74-56 win.
It wasn’t just a big win - it was a historic one. The 18-point margin marked Iowa State’s largest victory over Kansas in Ames, tying for the second-biggest ever over the Jayhawks, dating all the way back to 1955.
This wasn’t just a game - it was a statement. The Cyclones didn’t just beat Kansas.
They dismantled them on both ends of the floor. The defense was suffocating, the offense was balanced, and the energy inside Hilton matched the moment.
In the process, Iowa State handed Kansas its first loss in over a month and added some serious intrigue to the Big 12 title race.
Defense First - and Last
Let’s start with the defense, because that’s where this game was won. Kansas came in averaging 78 points per game.
Iowa State held them to 56 - tied for their lowest output all season. The Cyclones didn’t just slow Kansas down; they took them completely out of rhythm.
Flory Bidunga, the Big 12’s field goal percentage leader, came in shooting nearly 69% on the season. He finished 5-of-13 from the floor - that’s just 38.5%, his second-worst shooting performance of the season when attempting at least five shots. Iowa State made him work for every bucket, contesting shots, clogging passing lanes, and forcing KU into tough decisions all game long.
Darryn Peterson, Kansas’ star freshman and projected No. 1 pick, had a rough outing as well. He scored just 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting, turned the ball over three times, and didn’t register a single assist.
He played only 24 minutes and wasn’t on the floor for the closing stretch. Kansas head coach Bill Self said that was partly due to game flow, but also because Peterson was still recovering from an illness that kept him out earlier in the week.
“I tried to sub him because he’s been sick,” Self said. “When he needed to come out there at the end, I was thinking, ‘What gives us the best chance to have success on Wednesday?’ So that was me making that decision.”
Self didn’t sugarcoat it. “I didn’t think he was great,” he added.
“But he hadn’t practiced much. I don’t think he was bad - I just don’t think anybody, except Elmarko [Jackson], was great today.”
Balanced Offense, Big-Time Energy
On the other end, Iowa State spread the wealth. Milan Momcilovic led the way with 18 points, including four made threes - most of them coming in the second half when the Cyclones pulled away for good. His shot-making was surgical, and at one point he hit a fadeaway triple from the corner over Bidunga that had the crowd - and Momcilovic himself - grinning in disbelief.
Around him, it was a team effort. Tamin Lipsey, Joshua Jefferson, Jamarion Batemon, and Blake Buchanan each chipped in 11 points.
Buchanan set the tone early, scoring nine first-half points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting. Then Momcilovic took over late, scoring 14 of his 18 after the break and going 4-of-5 from deep in the second half alone.
This wasn’t a one-man show. It was a clinic in team basketball, with the Cyclones playing with poise, pace, and purpose. The ball moved, the shots fell, and Kansas had no answers.
Big 12 Title Race? Wide Open
The timing of this blowout made it even more compelling. Iowa State was coming off a disappointing road loss to TCU just days earlier - a game where they were favored by more than a touchdown and couldn’t find their rhythm.
Meanwhile, Kansas had just knocked off No. 1 Arizona in a thriller on Monday.
So naturally, Iowa State comes out and drops the hammer.
Now, the Big 12 race is as tight as ever. With Saturday’s result, both Iowa State and Kansas sit just 1.5 games back of league leaders Arizona and Houston. And with more than half a dozen regular-season games left, there’s still a lot of basketball to be played.
But the Cyclones won’t have to wait long for another marquee matchup. Houston comes to Ames on Monday in what could be a defining game for both programs. And just a few weeks later, Iowa State will head to Tucson to face Arizona in their penultimate regular-season game.
If Saturday was any indication, the Cyclones are ready for the spotlight. They didn’t just beat a top-10 team - they dominated one. And in a conference as deep and unforgiving as the Big 12, that’s the kind of performance that turns heads - and maybe even shifts seeding lines come March.