TCU holds off Iowa State for first win in Ames since 1982

TCU's win against Iowa State Wednesday night didn't come easily but the Horned Frogs will savor it all the same.

The Frogs held off the Cyclones 89-83 at Hilton Coliseum to record its first win in Ames, Iowa, since 1982.

A loss at last-place Iowa State, while not devastating, would have been a harsh blemish on TCU's NCAA tournament resume. Instead, the Frogs swept the Cyclones (13-14, 4-11), their second Big 12 series sweep this season.

"Surely it's a great win for us," TCU coach Jamie Dixon said. "Eventually, I think we wore them down. "

That isn't something Dixon has been able to claim much this season with a spat of injuries. But he had eight available scholarship players Wednesday, compared to ISU's seven because of injuries.

TCU (19-9, 7-8 in the Big 12) hosts Baylor (17-11, 7-8) at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Frogs beat the Bears in overtime 81-78 on Jan. 2.

Against Iowa State, TCU opened the second half with a 14-2 run to turn a five-point deficit into a five-point lead. The Cyclones rallied and reclaimed the lead but the Frogs held a 1-point lead after Lindell Wigginton's 3-pointer with 4:04 left. But the Frogs outscored ISU 11 to 6 the final four minutes Desmond Bane scored six of his career-high 27 points in the stretch. Alex Robinson had 18 points and six assists. Kouat Noi had 17 points and six rebounds.

"Me and my teammates are in it together," said Bane, whose previous career high was 24 points . "Tonight just happened to be my night. All the credit to my teammates."

The Frogs shot 57.9 percent from the field compared to the Cyclones' 46.8 percent. TCU also held the a 37-27 rebound advantage.

This story was originally published February 21, 2018 at 9:32 PM with the headline "TCU holds off Iowa State for first win in Ames since 1982."