WACO, Texas (Interstat) — In a defensive struggle defined by missed shots and grinding possessions, the Iowa State Cyclones leaned on their stars to remain undefeated, outlasting the Baylor Bears 70-60 in a Big 12 Conference men’s basketball game Wednesday night at the Ferrell Center.

The contest, played before a crowd of 7,287, was a far cry from an offensive showcase. Both teams combined to shoot just 36.5% from the field, with Baylor’s struggles from beyond the arc—5 for 27—proving particularly costly. The game’s pace and physical tone were set early, as the first points did not come until nearly two minutes had elapsed, courtesy of Baylor’s Cameron Carr sinking three free throws.

Iowa State, improving to 15-0 overall, held a narrow 25-24 lead at halftime in a period where neither team could establish rhythm. The Cyclones shot just 30% in the opening half, but their defense kept Baylor within reach. The second half saw the visitors begin to create separation, primarily through the efforts of guard Tamin Lipsey and forward Joshua Jefferson.

Lipsey, a sophomore from Ames, Iowa, spearheaded the Cyclone attack with a game-high 24 points, 18 of which came after intermission. His mid-range jumper and ability to draw fouls provided a steadying force as Iowa State slowly expanded its lead. He added two assists and two steals in 26 minutes of action.

Jefferson, a powerful presence in the paint, complemented Lipsey with 19 points, three assists and a block in a team-high 37 minutes. The Las Vegas native was a constant factor on both ends, securing key rebounds and converting difficult shots in traffic to stymie Baylor rallies.

The most critical sequence of the game unfolded midway through the second half. Leading 41-38 with just over 12 minutes remaining, Iowa State engineered a 9-0 run to seize control. The surge was capped by a transition dunk from Dominykas Pleta off a feed from Killyan Toure, pushing the Cyclone advantage to 50-38 and forcing a Baylor timeout. The Bears would not get within single digits again until the final minute.

Baylor, which fell to 10-4, was led by Carr’s 17 points. The guard from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, also contributed two assists and two blocks. Forward Caden Powell, a hometown product from Waco, provided a spark off the bench with 11 points and relentless work on the offensive glass, part of a 20-rebound offensive rebounding effort by the Bears.

Yet, Baylor’s inability to convert those second chances, along with a season-worst offensive rating of 86.0 points per 100 possessions, doomed its efforts. The Bears committed 14 turnovers against only five assists, highlighting a disjointed offensive performance.

Iowa State, while not efficient, was marginally better. The Cyclones posted an offensive rating of 100.7, aided by eight steals that led to 14 points off turnovers. Their defense held Baylor scoreless for stretches of four minutes or more on three separate occasions in the second half.

French guard Killyan Toure was also pivotal for Iowa State, finishing with 12 points, three assists and two blocks, including a crucial swat on a three-point attempt by Baylor’s Obi Agbim with under three minutes to play and the Cyclones leading by 10.

For Baylor, Tounde Yessoufou scored 10 points, and Michael Rataj added eight. The Bears’ interior defense, led by seven team blocks, kept them competitive, but their offensive woes were too significant to overcome.

The victory extended Iowa State’s perfect start, one of the last remaining in Division I, as they head into a Saturday home matchup with Oklahoma State. The loss was Baylor’s second in three conference games, with a daunting visit from Houston looming this weekend.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Iowa State entered with a 62.4% probability to win. The Cyclones covered the pregame spread of -4.5, but the total score of 130 fell well under the over/under line of 158.5, a testament to the defensive-minded, often-ugly contest that unfolded in Waco.