K-State falls to Iowa State in top-15 matchup

AMES, Iowa (KSNT) - The Kansas State Wildcats recorded their third loss of the season at the hands of Iowa State on Tuesday night.

The contest was close from start to finish, but ISU closed out a 80-76 victory.

The matchup featured seven ties and 13 lead changes, with the largest gap in the game being a 52-42 Iowa State lead with just under 12 minutes to play in the second half. The Wildcats cut the deficit to as little as two points in the final minute, but were never able to regain the lead.

Four Wildcats landed in double figures. Markquis Nowell led the way with 23, Cam Carter and Keyontae Johnson both had 15 and Ismael Massoud had 13 of his own.

Even with the loss, K-State maintains its spot at the top of the Big 12. K-State, Iowa State and Texas all have a 6-2 record in the conference. K-State's overall 17-3 record is better than ISU's 15-4, and the Wildcats hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Texas.

K-State returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 28 at home against Florida.