Kansas Can’t Stop Streaking Cyclones

The Iowa State Cyclones are well past their humble goal of stopping an embarrassing six-game losing streak.

Now they’re beating ranked teams on the road and riding a season-saving, seven-game winning streak. And after starting the Big 12 season 0-5, they’re ready to settle for nothing less than an NCAA tournament bid.

Curtis Stinson scored 29 points, including the game-winner in the lane with 5.1 seconds left in overtime, and the Cyclones pulled off their most improbable victory yet, stunning No. 2 Kansas, 63-61, on Saturday. Stinson had all seven of Iowa State’s points in the overtime.

The win ended the Jayhawks’ 32-game conference home winning streak and could eventually cost Kansas a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament the Cyclones believe they should be a part of.

“Beating the No. 2 team at home, it is not better than that,” said Stinson, whose injured left hand kept him off the floor for the opening 4:25 of the game.

“I hurt it in practice,” the sophomore guard said. “I hit it again tonight. I am a competitor and I am going to play hard.”

The Jayhawks, 20-3 overall, 10-2 Big 12, erased a nine-point deficit in the last two minutes of regulation. But all game long they had no answer for Stinson or Iowa State’s aggressive 2-3 zone, and they finished with a season-low point total.

Stinson made a short jumper over the Jayhawks’ Keith Langford for the game-winner.

“He is great,” Kansas Coach Bill Self said. “We had no answer for Curtis Stinson.”

Five days after losing by one point in double overtime at Texas Tech, the Jayhawks shot only 34.5% and were four of 23 from three-point range.

“Offensively, we didn’t have any rhythm at all,” Self said. “We were out of sync all day. These guys have performed at a high level for a long time but today we were as poor as we can be offensively.”

The Cyclones (15-8, 7-5) have beaten Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Kansas -- all ranked teams -- during the streak and won three conference road games after not winning a league game away from home for almost four years.

“I thought my kids played their hearts out the whole game,” Cyclone Coach Wayne Morgan said. “They didn’t give up and they kept fighting. Not a lot of teams come in here and win.”

Stinson’s winning shot came right after Langford missed two free throws at the other end. Langford then missed a 17-footer at the buzzer.

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Cyclones on a Tear

Iowa State was 8-8 overall, 0-5 and last in the Big 12 Conference and loser of 28 consecutive conference road games, entering a Jan. 29 home game against No. 13 Oklahoma. But the Cyclones have won seven in a row, including three on the road and four over ranked opponents. A look at the streak:

Date Opponent, Score

Jan. 29 No. 13 Oklahoma, 74-66

Feb. 1 Baylor, 77-51

Feb. 5 at No. 20 Texas, 92-80 (OT)

Feb. 8 at Nebraska, 65-60

Feb. 12 No. 25 Texas Tech, 81-68

Feb. 15 Kansas State, 57-42

Feb. 19 at No. 2 Kansas, 63-61 (OT)