Naz Long led four Cyclones in double figures with 19 points, including going 5-of-5 from 3-point range. Bryce Dejean-Jones posted 14 points, and Monté Morris recorded a line of 11 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
The Bears stormed out to a 16-1 lead in the first 3:30 of the game as the Bears were hot from deep, making their first four 3-pointers, with only a Dustin Hogue free throw breaking up the Baylor start. Naz Long helped settle the situation down for the Cyclones with a 3-pointer to reduce the BU lead to 16-4.
The Bears would build up a lead of as many as 17 points, but the Cyclones battled back. The ISU bench was strong again as Jameel McKay and Abdel Nader both entered early and provided crucial production from the bench. The duo combined for the first seven points of a 10-0 Iowa State run that helped bring the deficit down to single digits. The Bears got the lead back to 10, but a quick 8-0 run saw ISU reduce the lead to one possession. However, it was the Bears who took the momentum in the locker room as they closed the half on a 12-2 run to secure a 46-34 halftime advantage.
The first 12 minutes of the second half saw Iowa State make little progress in reducing the Baylor lead until ISU ran off an 8-0 run in 1:20, capped off with a Georges Niang banked 3-pointer to reduce the Bears lead to 64-59. After a Baylor bucket restored a seven-point advantage, the Cyclones meticulously fought their way back, with Naz Long hitting a 3-pointer in front of the ISU bench to tie the game at 66-66.
The tie lasted all of 20 seconds as the Bears went and added a free throw to get back ahead. The next possession, Niang hit a floater to move ahead for the first time in the game at 68-67. Baylor moved back ahead 70-68 as Lester Medford hit a trey in front of his team’s bench. It was Niang again who tied it again as he drove for a lay-up to tie it at 70s.
After Kenny Cherry missed a jumper, Johnathan Motley secured the rebound and put-back to put the Bears back ahead 72-70. ISU restored its lead the next possession as ISU went around the horn to find Dejean-Jones in the corner for 3 at 73-72. The Bears immediately responded as Cherry hit a 17-footer from the right elbow to restore the Baylor lead at 74-73. With 4.7 seconds to go, ISU went to Niang, who missed a floater from the free throw line as time expired to give the Bears the win.
