Iowa State Cyclones vs Kansas State Wildcats Match Player Stats On Mar 15, 2019

Marial Shayok hit back-to-back three-point baskets to erase a three-point deficit and give Iowa State a three-point lead and the Cyclones defeated No. 15 Kansas State 63-59 in the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship on Friday at Kansas City, Mo.

Shayok scored 21 points for the fifth-seeded Cyclones, who will play third-seeded and 17th-ranked Kansas in Saturday's championship game.

Iowa State will be looking to extend its perfect record in Big 12 Championship finals to 5-0. The Cyclones trailed 55-50 with 2:47 left, before closing the game on a 13-4 run.

Top-seeded Kansas State used a 13-3 run -- though it took nearly five minutes -- to start the second half to even the score at 38. It was game-on from there. Neither team led by more than five points the rest of the game.

Nick Weiler-Babb added 12 points for Iowa State. Michael Jacobson added eight points but pulled down 16 rebounds for the Cyclones, who shot 42 percent from the field and made 6 of 22 from 3-point range.

Iowa State held a 43-29 rebounding edge.

Kansas State (25-8) was led by Cartier Diarra with 15 points. All five starters scored in double-figures, including Barry Brown (13 points), Xavier Sneed (11), Kamau Stokes (10) and Makol Mawien (10).

The Wildcats received no points from their bench.

The Wildcats shot just 34.9 percent from the field, including 8 of 27 from 3-point range.

The first half was the slugfest that was expected, as both teams had runs and plenty of bodies were sent to the floor. But the officials only called a total of nine fouls in the first half.

The Cyclones used a 9-0 run to open a tight game. They held the Wildcats scoreless for a 5:20 stretch and led 35-25 at the half. The Cyclones were led by Shayok with 11 points and Jacobson with eight points and six rebounds.

Kansas State was led by Diarra with eight points. The Wildcats shot just 30 percent from the field in the half, including missing 14 of their final 15 shots.

--Field Level Media