Feb 26, 2022; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tyrese Hunter (11) dribbles past Kansas State Wildcats guard Selton Miguel (3) during the second half at Bramlage Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
Nigel Pack dribbled the ball across the half-court line in the waning seconds of Saturday afternoon’s game, with his Kansas State team trailing Iowa State by two points.
Pack was caught by surprise, maybe as much as those watching in the stands or on television, when Jaden Walker completed the steal that would lead to a critical 74-73 Cyclone victory inside the Octagon of Doom.
AlJaz Kunc hit the pair of free throws that saved the hearts of Cyclone fans, though, before Pack hit a half court shot as time expired.
At least it wasn’t a bad beat, for most people.
Caleb Grill led the Cyclones with 18 points, all coming from his six makes from behind the 3-point line.
Izaiah Brockington ended with 17 points and Tyrese Hunter collected a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double.
Pack ended the game with 32 points, making nearly everything he threw at the basket, but in another grind-it-out game that nearly went the other way, Iowa State captured its fourth-straight Big 12 win.
With the victory, Iowa State moved to sixth in the conference standings and could move to the No. 5 spot if TCU dropped its game with Texas Tech on Saturday night.
The win also marks the team’s ninth Quadrant 1 victory on the year, the third-best mark in the nation. It also gave Iowa State its 20th win on the year, which is a record-tying 18-win improvement in program history.
Wednesday will mark senior night for the team where it will try to break that record, facing Oklahoma State (6:00 p.m. ESPN+) in its final game at Hilton this season.
Big 12 MBB Standings
| Position | Team | Ovr. | Conf. |
| 1 | Kansas | 23-4 | 12-2 |
| 2 | Baylor | 23-5 | 11-4 |
| 3 | Texas Tech | 22-6 | 11-4 |
| 4 | Texas | 21-8 | 10-6 |
| 5 | TCU | 17-9 | 6-8 |
| 6 | Iowa State | 20-9 | 7-9 |
| 7 | Kansas State | 14-14 | 6-10 |
| 8 | Oklahoma State | 13-15 | 6-10 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 15-14 | 5-11 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 14-15 | 3-13 |
Iowa State 74, Kansas State 73
No. 20 Texas 82, West Virginia 81
Oklahoma 66, Oklahoma State 62 (OT)
5:00 p.m. – No. 9 Texas Tech @ TCU
7:00 p.m. – No. 5 Kansas @ No. 10 Baylor
