AMES, Iowa — The Iowa State versus Kansas basketball matchup doesn’t require much of a preamble.

With a large crowd gathering hours before the game, and some even camping out overnight to secure their spots, the fans were treated to a thrilling 74-57 victory for the Cyclones.

The anticipation for this clash of Big 12 rivals was palpable, especially as the Cyclones took the floor for the first time as the second-ranked team in the nation, facing the 10th-ranked Jayhawks.

Curtis Jones was the standout for the Cyclones, scoring 25 points with 9-of-17 shooting. He also contributed six rebounds, two steals, and had four turnovers. Normally a sixth man, he stepped into the starting lineup in place of Milan Momcilovic, who is sidelined indefinitely due to a hand injury.

Dishon Jackson came off the bench to add 17 points, along with four rebounds and a block. Brandton Chatfield made his first start as a Cyclone, taking Jackson’s place on Wednesday night.

Tamin Lipsey and Joshua Jefferson both scored 10 points, with Jefferson also snagging 12 rebounds.

The game started as a competitive back-and-forth until Jones hit two consecutive 3-pointers, energizing the sold-out crowd and giving Iowa State a 15-11 advantage with 11:12 remaining in the first half. After that point, the Cyclones maintained control, tightening their defense and rebounding efforts.

Iowa State ended the first half strong, capping it with an 8-0 run to lead 40-30 going into halftime.

Kansas has shown it can make crucial defensive adjustments after halftime in recent games, limiting both Cincinnati and Arizona State to under 15 points in the second half of their previous two matchups.

The Jayhawks kept the pressure on in the second half, managing to hold Iowa State to only 9-of-28 shooting (32.1%). However, the Cyclones navigated through their offensive struggles, getting to the free-throw line and countering each Kansas advance.

Kansas made a 9-0 run, while Iowa State faced a five-minute scoring drought early in the half. The Jayhawks took advantage of Cyclone turnovers and offensive woes to close the gap.

When Jefferson returned to the court, he broke the scoring drought with a post-up basket, but Kansas quickly responded with a Flory Bidunga score, narrowing Iowa State’s lead to 44-41 with 13:59 remaining.

That was as close as the Jayhawks would get to overtaking the Cyclones.

Though Kansas cut the lead to five points on two occasions, Iowa State managed to pull away again. A four-point swing, including a free throw from Demarion Watson and a Lipsey 3-pointer, rejuvenated the Hilton Coliseum crowd as Iowa State surged to a 61-52 lead with under four minutes remaining.

A decisive 11-0 run by the Cyclones in the final minutes cemented their victory.

Iowa State now stands at 15-1 overall and 5-0 in Big 12 Conference play. The Cyclones will next hit the road to face West Virginia on Saturday, with tip-off scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.

Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on X at @erapay5.