TCU Stuns No. 5 Iowa State with Late Surge, Snapping Cyclones’ Win Streak
Iowa State’s five-game winning streak came to a screeching halt Tuesday night in Fort Worth, as TCU closed the game with a 12-0 run to knock off the No. 5 Cyclones, 62-55. It was a statement win for the Horned Frogs - their first over a top-five team in more than two years - and a gut-punch for an Iowa State squad that had been rolling through Big 12 play.
The final few minutes told the story. With under three minutes to play and Iowa State clinging to a lead, TCU guard Jayden Pierre took over.
He strung together a personal 5-0 run - first a tough fadeaway jumper in the paint, then a cold-blooded three over Joshua Jefferson - that flipped the game on its head. The Cyclones never recovered.
Turnovers and Missed Opportunities
This one will sting for Iowa State, not just because of the result, but because of how it unraveled. The Cyclones coughed up the ball 17 times - including four in the final 4:19 - and finished 2-of-8 from the free throw line. That’s not just leaving points on the board; it’s handing them to your opponent.
The turnover issues weren’t new, but they were particularly costly Tuesday. Iowa State had 12 turnovers with 12 minutes still left in the game.
By the time the final buzzer sounded, TCU had turned those miscues into 19 points. Add in a 36-31 rebounding edge for the Horned Frogs and 13 second-chance points, and the Cyclones were fighting uphill all night.
The struggles extended to the perimeter, too. Iowa State, typically one of the most efficient three-point shooting teams in the country, went ice-cold from deep - just 5-of-23 overall.
At one point, they were 3-of-16, with key shooters like Nate Heise (0-3), Jefferson (0-2), and Jamarion Batemon (0-1) all coming up empty. Milan Momcilovic hit a couple from range but also missed a key transition three that could have shifted momentum.
A Tale of Two Runs
Despite all that, Iowa State had its moment. Down 49-41 midway through the second half, the Cyclones ripped off a 12-0 run that looked like it might swing the game for good.
It started with a Momcilovic three after a TCU turnover, then Jefferson drilled one from deep off a Momcilovic drive-and-kick. Just like that, it was a 49-47 game.
Tamin Lipsey and Nate Heise added second-chance layups, both coming after Iowa State ramped up the energy on the offensive glass. Lipsey’s bucket came courtesy of an assist from Jefferson; Heise’s came after Lipsey returned the favor. When Heise scored at the rim to cap the run, Iowa State led 53-50, and it felt like the Cyclones were in control.
But that’s when Pierre and the Horned Frogs flipped the script. After Pierre’s mini-run gave TCU the lead, Iowa State had a chance to respond but couldn’t execute.
Lipsey’s pass was deflected and stolen, leading to a fastbreak dunk that pushed the Frogs ahead by four. On the next possession, Lipsey missed the front end of a one-and-one, and the Cyclones wouldn’t score again.
In the final 2:38, Iowa State went scoreless while TCU closed with a 13-0 flurry. It was a textbook example of closing time execution - and Iowa State simply didn’t have an answer.
Bright Spots in the First Half
There were positives, especially early. Iowa State’s ball movement was sharp in the first half, as the Cyclones tallied assists on all 13 of their made field goals.
Jefferson was the hub of that offense, dishing out five assists before the break and scoring seven points himself. He opened the game with a slick feed to a cutting Lipsey for a layup, then found Blake Buchanan for a dunk that gave Iowa State a six-point lead midway through the half.
Lipsey added five assists of his own in the first 20 minutes, along with six points on 3-of-5 shooting. One of the highlights came on a second-chance possession where all five Cyclones touched the ball before Lipsey set up Momcilovic for a top-of-the-key three.
Despite turning it over seven times before halftime - including four in the final 4:16 of the half - Iowa State still took a 30-29 lead into the locker room. But the second half was a different story.
What’s Next
The road doesn’t get any easier for Iowa State. At 21-3 overall and 8-3 in Big 12 play, the Cyclones now face a brutal stretch - five of their final seven games are against ranked opponents.
Next up: a marquee showdown at Hilton Coliseum against Kansas. The Jayhawks just knocked off No.
1 Arizona and are rounding into form, even with star freshman Darryn Peterson battling through a season filled with injuries and illness. Kansas already handled Iowa State by 21 earlier this year in Lawrence.
Now, the Cyclones get a shot at revenge on their home floor - and a chance to prove this loss was just a stumble, not a slide.
There’s still plenty to like about this Iowa State team. But Tuesday night was a reminder: in the Big 12, no lead is safe, and no win is guaranteed.