Baylor completes season sweep of Iowa State with back-and-forth OT win

WACO, Texas — The 25th-ranked Baylor Bears scratched out a win they desperately needed, snapping a three-game home losing streak in Big 12 play by outlasting the No. 13 Iowa State Cyclones in overtime, 100-91, on Tuesday night at the Ferrell Center.

Baylor forward Johnathan Motley scored 27 and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Bears (19-7, 8-5 Big 12) took the fight to the paint to overcome the Cyclones (18-8, 7-6).

The Cyclones have now lost four straight to the Bears, their last win coming in the 2014 Big 12 conference tournament championship.

Baylor guard Al Freeman drove into the lane then kicked out to guard Lester Freeman for an open 3-pointer that he hit for an 87-84 lead with 3:19 left in overtime. That put the Bears in front for good.

On Iowa State's next trip down the floor, Motley came up with a block, then followed Prince on the fast break. Prince sent a bounce pass to Motley who finished the break with a dunk, putting the Bears in front by five.

Forward Abdel Nader led Iowa State with 26 points and forward Georges Niang added 24. Niang surpassed 2,000 career points, leaping over Fred Hoiberg to become ISU's No. 3 all-time leading scorer.

Motley appeared to be in position for a game-winning dunk with 10 seconds left in regulation, but forward Deonte Burton came to Iowa State's rescue by blocking the shot.

Cyclones guard Monte Morris took a shot from near the top of the key and beyond the arc, but it bounced high off the back iron and missed.

The Bears and Cyclones answered each other shot for shot for most of the contest, each trying to maintain their place in the Big 12 race. After Iowa State cut Baylor's seven-point halftime lead to two within the first two minutes of the second half, neither team led by more than six the rest of regulation.

The game featured 14 ties and 14 lead changes.

Baylor edged ahead by five points with 9:06 left in the first half when guard Lester Medford launched an alley-oop pass which forward Taurean Prince grabbed with one hand and slammed home.

Iowa State responded with a 12-2 run to claim a 29-24 lead with 6:09 remaining before intermission. Forward Georges Niang hit a 3-pointer and went into the lane for a layup during the surge and guard Monte Morris capped it with a 3-pointer.

The Bears closed with a 10-0 run in the final 2:22 of the first half. Guard Al Freeman did most of the damage as he completed a 3-point play and made a layup. Medford put Baylor ahead 41-35 at the break with a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 12 seconds left.

Niang led Iowa State with 11 points in the first half, while Freeman paced the Bears with 10.