TCU Stuns No. 5 Iowa State with Late Surge in Fort Worth
In a game that had all the makings of a Big 12 slugfest, TCU delivered a statement win Tuesday night, rallying late to knock off No. 5 Iowa State, 62-55, in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs closed the game on a 12-0 run, flipping the script in the final minutes and sending a packed home crowd into a frenzy.
The moment of truth came with 48 seconds left, when Jayden Pierre calmly pulled up and buried a three-pointer to give TCU a 57-55 lead. It was the kind of shot that swings momentum-and in this case, the game. From there, the Horned Frogs never looked back.
On the next possession, Xavier Edmonds stepped up with a game-changing defensive play, picking the pocket of Iowa State point guard Tamin Lipsey near midcourt. That steal sparked a fast break, and Micah Robinson punctuated it with a two-handed dunk that pushed the lead to four with just 28 seconds to go.
Iowa State had a chance to claw back, but Lipsey missed the front end of a one-and-one. Tanner Toolson, who came off the bench and played like a starter all night, iced the game with three clutch free throws.
This was a signature win for TCU (15-9, 5-6 Big 12), their first against a top-five opponent since toppling No. 3 Houston early last year.
And they earned it. Toolson and Robinson each poured in 17 points, with Toolson adding nine boards.
Robinson’s athleticism and timely scoring were key, especially down the stretch when the Frogs needed a spark.
Pierre’s late heroics capped off a gritty team performance that saw TCU score 19 points off 17 Iowa State turnovers. That defensive pressure was the difference, especially in the final minutes when the Cyclones simply couldn’t get a clean look.
For Iowa State (21-3, 8-3), it was a tough way to see a five-game win streak snapped. Joshua Jefferson flirted with a triple-double-12 points, nine assists, eight rebounds-and Lipsey also added 12 points. But the Cyclones went ice cold when it mattered most, failing to score in the final 2:38 of regulation.
It wasn’t always trending TCU’s way. Iowa State looked to have seized control late, using a 10-0 run to erase an eight-point deficit and eventually going up 55-50 with just under two and a half minutes to play.
But that’s when the Horned Frogs flipped the switch. Robinson’s dunk with 2:14 left ended a dry spell that had lasted over seven minutes, and Pierre followed with a soft hook shot to pull within one.
Earlier, Iowa State had built a nine-point cushion in the first half, but TCU responded with a 10-0 run of its own, sparked by five points apiece from Robinson and Toolson. Jefferson’s layup at the buzzer gave the Cyclones a narrow 30-29 edge at the break.
This was a game of runs, but TCU had the last-and most decisive-one.
What’s Next
Iowa State will try to regroup at home on Saturday when they host No. 9 Kansas in what promises to be another high-stakes Big 12 clash.
TCU, riding high after the upset, heads to Stillwater to take on Oklahoma State. If they can bottle up the defensive intensity and late-game execution they showed Tuesday night, they’ll be a tough out the rest of the way.