Iowa State Stays in the Hunt: Cyclones Eye Big 12 Title After Gritty Win Over Baylor
AMES - Hilton Magic was alive and well on Saturday afternoon, as Iowa State edged out Baylor 72-69 in a game that felt every bit like a March preview. With the win, the Cyclones improved to 21-2 overall and 8-2 in Big 12 play - and more importantly, they kept themselves firmly in the thick of the conference title race.
Let’s put this in perspective: Iowa State hasn’t claimed a regular season Big 12 championship since the Larry Eustachy era, when they went back-to-back in 2000 and 2001. Since then, they’ve had their moments - second-place finishes in 2015 and just last season in 2023-24 - but the top spot has remained elusive.
That could change this year, though the road ahead won’t be easy.
The Cyclones are chasing a pair of heavyweights in the standings: Arizona, still perfect at 10-0 in conference play, and Houston, sitting at 9-1 and looking every bit the part of a back-to-back league champ. Iowa State’s recent stumbles - back-to-back road losses at Kansas and Cincinnati - have made the climb steeper, but not impossible.
Here’s the silver lining: Iowa State controls a good chunk of its destiny. They’ve got games remaining against all three teams ahead of them in the standings - Arizona, Houston, and Texas Tech - and those matchups will be pivotal. Especially that home tilt against a surging Texas Tech squad (17-6, 7-3), which could have major implications for seeding and standings alike.
Kansas, currently tied with the Cyclones at 8-2 in the Big 12, is also very much in the mix. But with Iowa State holding a head-to-head opportunity against every top contender, the Cyclones have a chance to make a late-season statement.
This team has shown resilience all year, and Saturday’s win over Baylor was another notch in that belt. It wasn’t perfect, but it was gritty - the kind of win that separates contenders from pretenders down the stretch.
The Big 12 race is far from over. And if Iowa State can navigate the gauntlet ahead, they just might find themselves cutting down nets again - for the first time in over two decades.